Dumb Luck
by El Reino
Summary: Her boss is a kitsune? His employee is a priestess?- It was dumb luck, their meeting. Full of coincidences and random occurrences. But maybe a kitsune and a miko have things to offer each other after all. Crossover that takes place after the end of both series.
1. Chapter 1

All familiar properties mentioned belong to the owners of Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho. I own nothing, I'm just futzing with their ideas.

I've been wanting to do a crossover for a really long time. This little story has been sitting on my computer for a while. It's not finished yet, but it will soon be.

Enjoy!

**oOo**

_Shuichi Minamino_, Kagome read, slowly twirling her future boss' business card between her fingers. It was a little funny, she mused, that they had given her a business card in English, when she had pretty much forgotten all the language after school.

The magazines next to her lay untouched, not as interesting as her impromptu game. An idea occurred to her and she tried to flip the piece of paper over as fast as possible. The ink on the off-white cardstock turned into a blur.

_Shuichi Minamino, Shuichi Minamino, ShuichiMinamino, ShuichiMina-, ShuichiM-, Shuichi, ShuichiShuichiShuichiShuichiShu-_

The card made a bid for freedom and fluttered dizzily to the floor.

"Whoops!" Kagome dived out of her seat, stretching out a hand to retrieve the escapee. It would not do to lose it, and she would hate if the snotty receptionist saw her lose such an important-

The miko paused and pulled her hand back slightly. Right in front of the card were two black men's dress shoes that were so shiny that she could see her reflection in them. The mirrored woman took a breath and Kagome broke the wide-eyed staring contest to calmly pick the paper off the floor and slowly stretch into a standing position.

Her eyes moved up, up; past the perfectly pressed slacks and the electric blue button down shirt. She noted the shiny and smooth crimson hair with a jealous inward sigh. The smile was friendly and his posture communicated that he was nothing but welcoming. But once Kagome reached a set of emerald eyes, she froze.

Sure, the man's eyes were carefully creased to match his smile. They were wide and beautiful and captivating, and yet, there was something like steel deep in those pools. Something _other_.

Kagome shivered despite the fact the reception area was at a perfectly comfortable temperature.

"Higurashi-san?" The man questioned politely.

She snapped out of it and to attention. This was _not_ the time for her mostly dormant reiki to flare to life. This man was going to be her boss. This _human_ was going to be her boss.

"Ah, yes, yes." She sketched out a small bow and offered an apologetic smile. "I was just, ah… waiting."

He nodded cordially. "It is nice to meet you, Higurashi-san. I am Minamino, Shuichi; the manager of the Distribution Division. Have you received your uniform and ID card?"

Kagome nodded eagerly.

"Good. If you could please retrieve your things and follow me, I can escort you to where you'll be stationed."

The young woman whirled around and quickly gathered her things from a nearby chair, swinging her purse over her shoulder and clutching her new work blouses to her chest. The excitement of being at her new job was finally taking over. She felt giddy and lightheaded as she followed her new boss down the corridors. Her first real job, not including when she worked at a coffee shop to pay for trade school. It had been a long road to get here and she could finally see the fruits of her labor.

_I did it, Inu._ She silently exulted. _Even with my bad grades, I made it!_

It was hard for Kagome to pay attention to her new boss' running commentary. Her head was so clouded with excitement that it hardly had time to absorb any new information. By this time, she had completely forgotten her hesitance about Minamino.

He was very charming, she noted. He managed to be friendly while still being reserved and commanding respect. It was a delicate balance and Kagome was impressed. She felt welcomed and she was overwhelmingly grateful.

She met her new colleagues, two men and one woman before being escorted to her new cubicle.

"…And this is your desk. Do you have any questions, Higurashi-san?"

Kagome peered at her top-of-the-line computer in awe before shaking her head. "I have to show up tomorrow at nine?"

She did not know if that's what he said, but she had already memorized everything in her employee documents from orientation. Mama had said to ask questions, even if the answer was obvious. Kagome was nothing if not dutiful. (The sutra hidden under her shirt as a good luck gift from her grandfather was proof of that.)

"Nine is correct." Minamino replied. "Do not forget to swipe your ID at the station at the front of the office when you arrive and after you leave so it can log your hours."

She bobbed her head in acknowledgement.

"Good, well if there is not anything else, I will see you tomorrow. Good-bye, Higurashi-san."

"Good-bye, Minamino-kacho."

He turned to go and Kagome watched him for a second before looking at her new office chair. As slowly as she could, she placed her things on the desk and nonchalantly lowered herself into the black imitation leather. Her body sunk into it and Kagome swallowed a girlish giggle.

She was in a _real_ office, with a_ real_ job. No more worrying about being a burden to the shrine or spending the nights thinking about bills. She might even be able to upgrade her apartment soon and bring Buyo over and-

There was a dreamy sigh to her right. Kagome's eyes-which had closed while she was imagining being in an apartment with a bathtub-flew open. Leaning on her cubicle wall, was her woman co-worker.

"Isn't Minamino-kacho a god among men?" The stranger asked, gazing longingly at the door through which Minamino had disappeared.

Kagome blinked. That question was so far removed from Kagome's own fantasies about having a decent source of income, that she could hardly comprehend what her new office mate was asking.

"Pardon?"

"Minamino-san," the woman prodded. The goofy smile had been replaced with a puzzled look. "Don't you think he's beautiful?"

Flustered and confused because she had not been paying attention, Kagome managed to gurgle a response. Apparently it sounded like a "no."

The woman sighed. "I had hoped with another woman around, that finally someone would have _sense_."

Was that an insult? Before Kagome could puzzle that out, one of her other co-workers slid into her doorway.

"Aha! I told you, Honda, that your obsession over our manager was unhealthy. I _told _you."

"Quiet, Fujioka, no one wants to hear you-"

"Higurashi-chan," a quiet voice prodded. She turned around to see an older gentlemen leaning on one of her dividing walls. "They'll be like this all day and will not notice if you leave now. You need your rest before tomorrow."

Kagome nodded, feeling guilty that she could not remember anyone's name.

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Tomorrow. Have a good evening."

"You too." She smiled at him before gathering her belongings and squeezing through the space between the bickering couple. They did not even blink. She offered them a hasty "Bye!" before sweeping out.

oOo

Boredom. All Kagome felt now was boredom. Of course, she had always associated that with the Modern Era. The Modern Era was safe and the place where horrifying enemies like Calculus lived, and the Feudal Era was the time where dime-a-dozen monsters wanted to eat her or at least steal her jewels. Now that she was stuck in her original time, she accepted that life was just going to be a drag.

But at least she had a job, right?

One month, Kagome mused, twirling her red pen in between her fingers. She had been at this company for a month already. She peered at her work, a sheet full of numbers and then at her pen. It seemed funny to her that she would become an accountant when she had struggled so much with math in the Feudal Era.

She snubbed her papers in favor of continuing her little game. She tried twirling her pen through her fingers as fast as she could. She was actually getting pretty far when-

"Higurashi-san?"

Kagome jumped and her felt-tip pen clattered to her desk. She whirled around to see Minamino and an unfamiliar man standing in the doorway to her cubicle.

"Ah," she said while standing and trying to smooth her skirt. "Hello, Minamino-kacho."

He smiled, polite as ever but his smile still did not reach his eyes. "Hello. I just wanted to introduce you to my replacement. This is Hattori Daichi and he will be taking over in a couple of weeks."

Kagome's eyes widened. Minamino was leaving? Oh, Noriko would be _so_ depressed. Hattori's dull black hair and sensible haircut was _nothing_ in comparison to Minamino's.

The former priestess sketched out a little bow. "It is very nice to meet you."

Hattori nodded. "You as well."

They exchanged a bit more small talk, before the two men moved onto the next cubicle. When the managers had made their rounds, and disappeared around the corner and into Minamino's office, Noriko practically threw herself into Kagome's space.

"It's a tragedy!" Noriko, the woman co-worker cried. "How am I going to live without seeing Minamino's face every day? He's only going to be here another two weeks!"

There was a scoff and a chuckle from deeper in the office. Kagome ignored them and kept her face as sympathetic as possible.

Kagome patted Noriko's arm in a comforting manner. "That is definitely going to be hard for you." Kagome supposed she should have offered something else. But honestly, she was not very used to comforting someone who did not fight demons or shared her sleeping bag.

Noriko's tears miraculously dried up as she glared at Kagome. "You're no help," the woman muttered and flounced away.

Kagome paused and looked at her papers. Her pen had made a bold mark across them when she had startled and now the ink was spreading due to Noriko's tears.

"You're welcome!" Kagome called helpfully.

oOo

A youkai was being interviewed on television. Kagome was in the break room, staring wide-eyed at the screen on the wall in front of her. She had been flabbergasted that after all those years of searching, youkai had been around. They had just been stuck in a different dimension.

She stirred her tea absently as she watched one of her favorite news anchor quiz the otherworldly guest. Kagome would give her old yellow backpack with some of Kaede's arrows to be in that anchor's shoes. She had searched and searched, even when her powers suddenly refused to work anymore.

Just a glimpse of a youkai walking down the street. That's all Kagome wanted. Maybe a brush of youki to remind her of the good times. She occasionally practiced with her old bow when she visited the shrine, but without her reiki or being in a life-or-death situation, it was not the same.

She was frozen in place, idly swirling a spoon in her rapidly cooling tea when Minamino spoke.

"It is unbelievable isn't it?" He asked, coming to stand next to her and sipping at a cup of coffee. "Unbelievable that those supernatural creatures could have existed all this time and humans never knew."

Kagome did not really register her boss' presence, too transfixed on staring at the youkai's horns. What _kind_ was he? Lizard? No. Dragon? This was going to drive her nuts. She absently answered the red-head, not really paying attention.

"I just don't believe it when that guy says he's a thousand years. He has to be less than five-hundred, I mean, look at his horns, right?" She scoffed.

The silence from the person next to her was so complete it almost seemed like he had stopped breathing. Kagome's hand paused and she snapped out of her slack-jawed trance. She turned and met his gaze. It was the first time she had ever seen true emotions in his eyes. Those emerald orbs… held confusion.

Kagome felt her face heat and she knew she was crimson. "I-I-I mean, I wouldn't know, but I'm just guessing, I mean a thousand, _wow_, that's a long time, and oh I'm rambling, bye! Sir!"

She scuttled off to her desk and her face did not cool off until her tea felt like ice.

oOo

Kagome was late-late-late. And that was bad-bad-bad. While Minamino was usually pretty calm when it came to those sort of things, his replacement was the one who was going to be in today. Since Kagome had no clue if Hattori was a slave driver or not, she did not want to get on his bad side.

She slipped into a bakery near her workplace, hoping to snatch up a last minute breakfast before running the rest of the way. Ooh, there were brownies on the counter, perfect.

Picking up a brownie and quickly paying by slapping a few yen on the counter and smiling at the counter-boy, she swirled towards the door. Unfortunately, on her way, she encountered a few obstacles. Namely other people. Namely a red haired man named Minamino.

Kagome bounced off his hard chest and landed on her bum in the middle of the shop.

"Higurashi-san!" He exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

Kagome accepted his hand and rubbed her hip. She still felt a little disoriented. "Yes… I think so. Something broke my fall-oh my brownie!" Her cry was anguished.

"I can get you another one," he offered, but Kagome shook her head. There were apples and sugar packets in the break room. She'd survive.

"Thank you but I really have to go, I'll see you!" Without giving him a chance to respond, she rushed right out the door and… into another hard chest.

This time Kagome stayed on the pavement. She felt like crying. And maybe flailing around a little bit. And now her stockings had a run in them and she was hungry and late and-

"Oi, Lady! Don't cry, I'm sorry! It was an accident, okay?"

"Higurashi-san!"

-And now she was making a fool of herself in front of her attractive boss. Kagome sniffled.

"Don't _cry_, dammit!"

"Yusuke, what did you do?" Minamino sounded aggrieved.

"I didn't do nothing! I was just minding my own business when this lady just rushes me and-"

Kagome, who was tearfully staring at the run on her knee, suddenly had a vision full of fire hair and concerned green. His voice was surprisingly soft. If he did not make her so uncomfortable, Kagome would have been pleased at drawing out any kind of real emotion from his blank gaze.

"Are you hurt, Higurashi-san?"

_Yes_. She shook her head no. He crouched beside her and took a hold of her elbow like he was going to help her stand but a dark-haired man with a frown and scuffed tennis shoes stomped over.

"No, _I'll_ help her, it was my fault!" He leaned down and took her other elbow. His grip was not as soft. He did not cradle her like she was delicate like Minamino did, instead his fingers dug into her skin.

But the only thing that she noticed as they lifted her was how their combined auras pressed heavily into her. Something warm was rising from her belly to the top of her head. It felt like someone was tickling her insides. She wanted to laugh even as the oppressive youki of both hanyou and kitsune surrounded her.

It felt like she was _alive_ again, like she was the adventurous "_KA-GO-ME!"_ again, not some robot who only cared about rent and money. It had been five years since her reiki died; three more since she had seen her best friends. Eight years since she had accidentally absorbed a cursed jewel and only now did she feel like a real person again.

She laughed and her joy _exploded_, pushing her knights through the air. Kagome felt like she was coming apart from the seams as her previously suppressed powers surged out through her every pore. She bent over, still racked with hysterics and wrapped her arms around her middle, trying to keep her patchwork soul together.

The woman could not hear the gasping, or the exclamations by the bystanders that were being washed in what felt like pure love. She could not see her boss and his friend stagger to their feet while they watched her with awe on their faces. All she could think of was trying to keep herself from flying apart.

She was back. She was free.

Soon the massive amounts of power she released began to pause its outward motion, before thickening and swirling back into her. The pink glow finally faded from her skin, but her blue eyes seemed brighter and when she stood, her shoulders were no longer slumped. Kagome wiped a tear from her eye and when her vision cleared there was a crowd standing around her.

No one said anything until the man with the scuffed shoes swore. "What the hell was that?"

"A miko…" Her boss answered lowly. But his voice was huskier than Kagome remembered. She looked at him and gasped. His hair was silver and there were the cutest pair of ears on his head.

"Inu-Inuyasha?" Kagome asked hesitantly.

"No," he snarled, green eyes flashing. His tail whipped behind him.

It was then Kagome realized something. _She_ might be overjoyed to see youkai, but _they _probably would not be.

"Ahh," Kagome laughed nervously even as she still trembled through the leftover euphoria. "Whoops. I-uh… Gotta go." She turned tail and ran. It was only because of the assembled crowd and a conveniently placed taxi that she was able to escape. Deciding neither to go to work or her apartment, she forked over a good amount of money to get a ride to the Sunset Shrine. She had a feeling she was going to need her bow and arrows after all.

**oOo**

**Notes:**

Apparently business cards are a big deal in Japanese business society. Treating one badly is considered rude. Also, the honorific of "-kacho" is supposed to acknowledge Kurama's place as the department head. This is all from research that I have done, but I fully admit that I can be wrong. (Yes, some of those last names might be mighty familiar. Just a not-so-subtle homage. ;))

I'd love to know what you guys think, even if it's just to correct me. Thanks for your time.


	2. Chapter 2

All familiar properties mentioned belong to the owners of Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho. I own nothing, I'm just futzing with their ideas.

Enthusiasm is catching! I hadn't expected this story to do so well, but after I hit the double digits on the reviews, I was compelled to try and churn this one out as soon as possible.

My gratitude goes to these people for reviewing: gincitri, kitsune-snuggler12, QuestSeeker, VixenKitsune147, Life Is Like An Hourglass, PatrinePtn, fredisagirl, The Path of Supreme Conquest, Micartell, Mondtanz, Fairy Demon26 and dancingfingers. Also to these people for putting this on their alerts: BrightlyColoredNight, VixenKitsune147, bluephoenixflame98, chibigamer, gincitri, kitsune-snuggler12, soujin25, sylversylan, Life Is Like An Hourglass, PatrinePtn, Pheonix87, fredisagirl, Dark Horse Queen, Sesshychan1, The Path of Supreme Conquest, audrastar, sacaku, Ayjah, Fairy Demon26 and dancingfingers. As well as to these people for putting this on their favorites: FiretteAshesFaette, Otaku-ka-ren, QuestSeeker, VixenKitsune147, bluephoenixflame98, gincitri, kiasairen, kitsune-snuggler12, PatrinePtn, Pheonix87, ShadowFoxDemon, The Path of Supreme Conquest, audrastar and dancingfingers.

I hope this continues to please. Enjoy!

**oOo**

Kurama was _not_ a dumb man. In fact, it could be argued that he was the exact opposite. And even if he was not a genius, he was meticulous and careful and observant.

It did not take a genius to notice something was up with his newest employee. At first, Kurama had not paid too much attention to her. He would be leaving his stepfather's company for Maikai soon and the inclusion of another human into his life was something he wanted to avoid.

But that did not mean he ignored her. Especially not when he passed by her workspace and spotted the small plant she had tucked under her sole florescent lamp.

The avatar had paused, frozen in place. Higurashi noticed him and looked up curiously.

Kurama had struggled to find the right words but they were slow in coming.

"Is-is that plant…?"

Higurashi pursed her lips in confusion before realizing to what he was referencing. She smiled widely and picked up a red clay pot that fit perfectly in between the palms of her hands.

"Isn't it nice?" The woman beamed. "I love mountain ferns and my mom was kind enough to give me a clipping of hers. It took a while to grow roots but I planted it as soon as possible!"

Kurama could not help but reach over and lightly run his fingers over the delicate leaves.

"Do you like plants, Minamino-kacho?"

He had to clear his throat. "Yes… Very much so." His mouth proceeded spit out something inane while his brain was still on vacation. "But I thought you had to keep a fern in a damp environment?"

She smiled and motioned the pot in the direction of a purple spray bottle. "I spray it often and that's actually been enough to keep it alive."

It took all of his human will to pull back and offer a polite nod. "Well… thank you for showing me, Higurashi. Until next time."

"Bye!"

He stiffly walked away, mind churning. It seemed he would indeed have to keep a close eye on Higurashi.

Normal accountants were not exactly known for owning plants that had been extinct for close to five hundred years.

So he watched from afar. Nothing else seemed out of place. Higurashi had absolutely no spiritual power whatsoever, no matter what kind of youki he subjected her to. She was quiet, did her job diligently and never did anything to stand out.

Kurama did not even see the need to follow her home, even though his curiosity was burning him. Maybe the plant was a family heirloom? There had to be some explanation, but what?

His tests were very conclusive. Higurashi was _ordinary_. An ordinary human in an ordinary job.

Too bad Youko's low view of humans was blinding him to a truth Shuichi knew only too well.

Everyone had a story to tell.

When the incident in the break room occurred, Kurama was shocked. He had just dismissed this woman as being utterly inconsequential, and then she had scoffed at the youkai's story like she was an expert. She had been absolutely right, but what would a human know about those kinds of things?

Kurama did not believe in coincidences.

It was frustrating. It bothered him. So much so, in fact, that he would go home and close his eyes to only be assaulted with a vision of her smiling visage. Her blue irises plagued his dreams.

He knew his instincts were trying to tell him something. Something about her eyes. But he did not know what. They looked so dull in retrospect, so _not important_.

How funny then, that when her powers were released, her eyes turned vibrant. Electric, like someone flipping the switch to turn on a light bulb. Her smiling face and hypnotizing eyes would soon haunt his dreams even more now.

He discovered that she was a miko, but the questions multiplied.

oOo

Yusuke managed to track down Kurama in the aftermath. Not wanting to expose himself as a demon just yet, Youko had dashed off and had found a solitary place to meditate. He had reverted to his usual state when Yusuke had stomped his way over the rooftop to stand expectantly, arms crossed.

The miko's power had affected Yusuke as well. While his hair had since returned to its original black from the shocking white of before, the length had more than tripled. His long hair cascaded down past his back. The markings of his heritage were slow to fade from his skin.

"What are you doing here?" The man in question growled. "You let her get away!"

Kurama let out one last calming breath and peered up at the former Detective. "I did not."

"Yes you did!" The young man argued. "I lost her in the crowds and I turn around to see you had disappeared. Who knows where she is now?"

Kurama let his friend vent before shaking his head. Standing, he lightly dusted off his clothes. "I do not know where she is now, but I have a good idea where we can find her."

"How?" Yusuke huffed.

"She is my employee, and in her files lists her place of residence."

"Oh." To his credit, Yusuke refused to look ashamed. Instead, he kicked at the gravel insulation on the rooftop. "Dammit. Keiko's gonna be so mad at me when I miss dinner."

Kurama smiled lightly. "And why would you miss an engagement with your wife? You are no longer a Detective. This is none of your concern."

Yusuke rolled his eyes. "No longer a Detective, my ass! I don't know what that woman did, but my hairs are still standing on end. It's my problem now!"

"Koenma will be delighted to see you."

Yusuke grumbled at the light teasing and stomped towards the roof access door. They both knew that the toddler both wanted Yusuke back while also wanting to never see the hanyou's face ever again. It made for fantastic entertainment. Kurama looked forward to the reunion and also to encountering the miko again.

Just like that mountain fern, all priestesses were supposed to be extinct.

oOo

They had gone to her apartment to find the place empty. Nothing lingered in the space except the light perfume she regularly wore. When Yusuke insisted on getting in, Kurama had picked the lock without much of a second thought. They were not officially detectives, but this was definitely a special case.

It warranted a couple of extreme measures.

While, in theory, her purity was not that much different than the spiritual awareness Kuwabara contained, in practice, anyone with a spiritual inkling could _feel_ the difference. Kuwabara's powers were clumsy but he did not generate enough to worry about containing them. Not only could he use his powers defensively like his sword, but he could also wrap demons in his aura without making them feel uncomfortable. In fact, he had done so to Hiei and Kurama a couple of times on accident.

If a priest or priestess mistakenly touched a demon with their aura, they would have purified the creature in an instant. Higurashi had released enough power to take out a sizable crowd.

It must have taken an immense amount of training and discipline to disguise her powers like she had. There was also the question of how the fox and Masukou had survived the assault. Kurama could not help the shiver that danced down his spine at the remembrance.

Instead of attacking him, her powers had embraced him without causing his youki to rise in his defense. He had felt an overwhelming surge of power, of happiness and then the reiki was stripping him bare. Her power grabbed the very essence of his soul, bringing out Youko while also leaving an aspect of Shuichi.

Kurama had never felt so at ease with his two identities before. In all honesty, the experience would have been… almost pleasant. But only if he did not know what miko were supposed to represent.

For someone who should have brought death, her powers were very welcoming.

Yusuke must have had a similar experience. He was storming around Higurashi's apartment, not really stopping to look at anything, just grumbling. It was clear the man was unsettled and was expressing it in the only way he knew how. Anger.

He marched through her kitchen where it was mostly clean except for a dirty bowl and spoon in the sink. He grumped into her bedroom, then hastily scuttled way out when he encountered some of her intimate clothing (read: bras) scattered on the floor. He scowled at her empty bathroom and finally returned to the small living room.

Kurama carefully followed behind, taking note of all the things Yusuke missed. The avatar noticed the dishes but also the small decorative bowls she had on the kitchen window sill. He smirked at Yusuke's reaction to the bedroom, but a quick onceover over the sparse furnishings was enough to satisfy him. He obviously did not mind breaking and entering, but invading the most private of spaces bothered a small but important part of him.

He would have to examine that later.

Her bathroom was full of beauty items. A heat curler, a straightening iron, a whole bevy of hair products Kurama recognized and many make-up items that he did not, and cheap shampoo littered the small counter space. He opened the medicine cabinet and was greeted with nothing but toothpaste and some generic pain medications.

Bending down, he opened the cabinet underneath the sink. Aha.

Tucked behind a wad of plastic shopping bags and cleaning items, sat a large white box with a red cross on the front. He pulled out the first-aid kit and marveled at its size and weight. Flicking it open, the kitsune raised a brow when the contents practically spilled over.

Having seen and needed a fair amount of first aid throughout his human life, he knew enough to realize that this kind of thing belonged to a professional. Kurama quickly took stock of the contents, especially the ones he did not recognize, before returning the kit to its original place.

The puzzle was only getting more complicated the more he tried to solve it. Anticipation built behind his breast. Nothing was better than a good mystery.

The kitsune walked back to the living room, carefully taking note of the shoes abandoned in the hallway and the occasional piece of cheap art on the walls. Yusuke was pacing.

"Well she's not here. So what do we do now, Know-It-All?"

The kitsune glanced up from a picture he had been studying. It held a smiling group of people standing in front of a Shinto Shrine. Higurashi was there, along with two adults and a young man. Three of them had the same eyes.

Kurama's lips pursed. "We find her family."

oOo

There was no denying Botan was very good at her job. Despite Kurama's dubious attitude towards the way Koenma ran Spirit World, the avatar could not deny that the Prince had very talented people on his team. By the time Kurama and Yusuke had excited the apartment building, she was already waiting on the sidewalk with Kuwabara in tow.

She cheerily waved at them while Kuwabara greeted his friends with a lopsided smile.

"Hey guys!" He grunted.

"Hello, Kuwabara." Kurama greeted. "Botan. I suppose this means that Koenma is already aware of what has transpired?"

Botan nodded. "Yup! We couldn't get a hold of Hiei, but Kuwabara was willing to come."

"Yeah!" The man in question cut in. "I'll be able to sense her spirit energy from ten kilometers away!" He boasted and puffed out his chest in pride.

Yusuke scoffed as he jammed his hands into his pockets. "It wouldn't be that hard. Even I could sense it if I wasn't trying."

Kuwabara seemed to take this as an insult, but Kurama stepped in before an argument could start.

"Indeed. It seems the miko is very powerful with very strong reiki. You will not have a problem sensing it at all, Kuwabara."

This seemed to placate the tall man. He stepped back from his looming position over Yusuke.

Kurama looked over the people surrounding him. It was a little amusing to see them all here. Despite the men's strong feelings against working for Koenma, they still gathered at any sign of trouble. At least Kuwabara was a little more honest about his intentions. While Yusuke often argued about how much he would never again work as a Detective, Hiei lost himself in the Makai and Kurama busied himself with work, Kuwabara had promised his services to the heavenly toddler.

If Koenma ever needed help, ever loyal Kuwabara would be there. While he moved on with his life, he also was willing to insert himself in the action at any time. It just so happened that his services were frequently needed.

And when Kuwabara was on the scene, it was not uncommon to see his friends crawl out from under their respective rocks to join in.

None of them could really drop their old lifestyle. None of them really wanted to.

Kurama sucked a deep breath in, slowly ridding his nose of Higurashi's scent. His human heart thudded oddly in his chest. He was addicted to this kind of life. The miko could kill him when they found her, and yet, that promise of danger only made him want to find her even more.

The chase was on.

**oOo**

Anon Review Reply:

Micartell: I appreciate the fact that you took the time to read some of my other works. But not to worry, this will not interrupt my updating schedule for FT. Thanks for reviewing!


	3. Chapter 3

All familiar properties belong to the owners of Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho. I own nothing, I'm just futzing with their ideas.

Oh my goodness guys, the amount of people that have put this on their alerts or favorites has been astounding. So much so, that to list all of them would take up a significant amount of this chapter. That has **_never_** happened to me before. I'm very stunned and flattered that you guys are so interested in this and even if I don't write out all your names, please know that I really, really, **_really_**appreciate it. Here, have a chapter.

I do have space to thank these people for reviewing: dancingfingers, snippershoo, Otaku-ka-ren, Ayjah, lillith, PatrinePtn, Gimei, The Path of Supreme Conquest, kitsune-snuggler12, Spastic Freak, Silversun XD, KEdakumi, Youko's Befuddled Fox, SnowMiko, Izno and fofafie.

Thanks again everybody, enjoy!

**oOo**

"So what's the plan, Botan?" Yusuke asked. "Are we just trying to find out where she is? Capture her? I don't know about the Toddler, but I want answers."

"I would like to have some of my questions answered as well." Kurama stated quietly.

Botan chuckled. The sheepish expression on her face immediately had the kitsune on the alert. She knew more than she was willing to let on. She tucked her oar behind her and rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand.

"Well, uh-Koenma-sama wants us to _ask _her to come to the Spirit World with us."

Kuwabara frowned. "I don't think we've ever _asked _anyone to do anything."

Botan swallowed. "He-humm, uh, doesn't think you'd be able to capture her."

"Hey!" Yusuke stepped forward to argue, but Botan simply giggled nervously.

"She-well, if she is who we think she is… then… then she's the Shikon Miko."

Apparently, the revelation was supposed to have more of an impact than it did. Her words dropped through the air as if they were tied to a stone, and no one made a move to pick them up. The three men stared at her blankly.

The reaper's eyes widened to comical proportions as she gasped. "Guys! You can't be serious! _None_ of you knows about the Shikon Miko? She's like a celebrity!"

Kurama blinked slowly. Kuwabara took this moment to let out a small belch. Yusuke rolled his eyes.

Botan's cheeks colored a bit. The more she talked, the more high pitched her voice seemed. "The Shikon Miko, guys. The woman who traveled with the Inu prince, a demon slayer, a monk and a kitsune? The protector of the Jewel of the Four Souls? The Shikon-no-Tama? Oh please, tell me any of this rings a bell!"

Kurama's brow wrinkled. Jewel of the Four Souls? Where had he heard that before? A recollection tickled at his consciousness, but the memory felt far older than it should have. Surely Botan was not talking about something so old that he would have to use Yoko's recollections to figure this out.

Kuwabara gasped and threw his hands out in front of him. "Wait! I know that story! Shizuru used to tell me one like that all the time." He closed his eyes and massaged his temples as if that would make the memories come to him faster.

"I remember… A priestess who traveled with a half-dog demon… and they had to find this jewel because if they didn't all of Japan would be destroyed." His eyes popped open. "Or something like that. It was kind of boring when Shizuru used to tell me, to be honest. All old stories from the Feudal Era kind of are."

Kurama's eyes widened. The Feudal Era? Yusuke picked up on it too.

"She… uhh, she did not look like she was very old." Yusuke slowly said. "Are you trying to tell me that the lady who lost it today actually is a lady who lived hundreds of years ago? I've seen a lot of weird shit, but I'm pretty sure that's impossible."

Botan let out a brief peal of panicky laughter that she had to cover her mouth to stop. She spoke through her hands but the men still were able to understand her.

"Not if you're a time traveler." She muttered.

Kurama blinked. And then blinked again. His brain felt like it was overheating. Maybe he should sit down. He held up a hand to stop any of his friends' outbursts.

"Are you telling us, Botan, that not only have we found the first miko to be revealed in generations, but she is also capable of stepping through time?" Kurama's voice was still smooth, but there was a warning undertone that everyone picked up on.

"I'm still not sure what a miko can do, guys." Kuwabara murmured when the silence dragged on for far too long. "Is she dangerous?"

Botan grimaced and held her oar lengthwise in front of her. When she let go, it hung mid-air and only bounced a little when she jumped up to sit on it. Once settled, she seemed a lot more relaxed than when she had been on the ground. When her confidence returned, so did her smile and upbeat attitude.

"No, Kuwabara, she's not dangerous… well not to you at least. Historically, priestesses were able to purify demons out of existence. Their spiritual power is the complete opposite of a demon's, see? The only reason she could time travel though was because of a portal that was established on her property. She fell through it and-poof! Time travel."

Kurama's eyes narrowed as he thought. "Was it a portal like the kind you can establish?"

Botan laughed and swung her legs back and forth as she hovered. "No, I can do dimensions, but I can't do time. None of us ferry girls can. That's Fate's department."

"What does Koenma want with her?" Yusuke asked, eyes flashing. "Is he gonna manipulate her into working for him like he did us? I'm not gonna drag her to Reikai just so the Toddler can make her his slave, like he did us."

Everyone fell silent.

Botan frowned. Her answer was a long time coming, but Kurama could tell it was completely truthful.

"No… No, I think Koenma-sama genuinely just wants to talk to her. It was a surprise she was alive, actually. All of the records he could find said that she had simply disappeared after her ordeal in the past. Her reiki could not be sensed and a troop was sent to her shrine, but she was not there.

"We do have to take her though. Any demon worth their salt will be going after her. The agreement was that demons could come into the human world as long as they promised to behave. If they find out that their worst enemy is roaming around unregulated, all bets are off and the demons can act however they see fit."

Yusuke smirked, not challenging Botan's statement. He instead focused on something else.

"Are you saying we're not good demons?" He grinned widely and a fang glinted in the strong morning light.

Botan's eyes widened and they flickered to Kurama. "Sorry! You know I didn't mean it like that, Yusuke. Why do you always twist my words? Kurama…" Her apologies died on her lips.

The kitsune avatar smiled politely. "Botan, no offense was taken, I can assure you." He tried to get the conversation back under control. "So we shall visit the shrine where her family lives, then?"

Botan nodded and with a flamboyant spin, she had a portal open for the detectives to step through. "Remember, Yusuke," she called as he was the first to march through. "We're just going to _ask_ her, not fight her."

Yusuke snorted. "Whatever." He moved forward and the portal swallowed him greedily.

Kurama waited for Kuwabara to go next and then followed with a passing nod to Botan.

Time travel, fairy tales and the supposed protector of an ancient treasure. This puzzle was definitely going to take a while to figure out.

He looked forward to it.

oOo

"Sis!"

Kagome's head shot up from where she was pulling her house key out of the lock. She could not help the contented smile that took over her face."Souta! What are you doing here, aren't you supposed to be in your dorms?"

Souta bounded up to meet his sister at the entrance to the house. He pulled her inside by her jacket sleeve and closed and bolted the door behind her.

"I could ask you the same thing! Don't you have work?" He declared as he enveloped her shorter form in a hug. "Geez, Kagome, I missed you."

She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms tightly around her brother. He was so much taller than her now, and he held her so close that her nose was smashed up to his chest. But he was warm and his familiar cologne was comforting and _goodness_, she had missed him too.

That was one good thing about being stuck in this era. Her family was not hundreds of years away.

"Same here," she breathed. "Whenever I visit, Momma says you can't come home because of your training."

He chuckled and Kagome giggled at the vibrations she felt on her face. "Funny, whenever _I _come home, Mom says you can't visit because you're busy with work."

Kagome loosened her grip a bit and leaned back so she could smirk mischievously up at her brother. "Maybe we should just meet up together, just the two of us. Prove to Mama that we can make time for each other."

He nodded. "As long as it isn't during football season," he scolded.

"Or training season. I know, I know. Your scholarship keeps you busy."

She untangled herself from him and stepped further into the house once she had kicked off her shoes. "Where is Mama, anyway?"

"She's with Ojii-san at the hospital." Souta answered as he ambled after her.

Kagome paused and her face pinched in worry. Her brother cut her off before she could think the worst.

"The pneumonia is completely gone, but it's just a follow up to make sure."

Her face brightened. "Good!" With that she traipsed up the stairs to her room.

Souta followed. "You know, you never told me what you were doing here!"

"Neither did you!"

Kagome's room looked a lot different than before. In a desperate attempt to "grow-up" she had purged her room completely of pink. Instead, she had re-painted her room in a light moss green and a deep purple comforter lay over her bed. Kagome had been in this room so much, she ignored the knickknacks on her desk and the long-suffering stuffed animals on her dresser. Instead, she tossed the trailing edge of the comforter up and dove underneath her dusty bed.

"Uh, Kagome, what are you-" Souta paused when she resurfaced, dragging a big wooden box behind her. His eyes widened. "Sis?"

She pursed her lips. If she did not say anything, he'd jump to conclusions and worry. If she did tell him the truth, he would also jump to conclusions and worry.

Oh well, there was nothing for it. The box was almost as long as she was tall. The wood was heavy and there was a sturdy brass lock on the front. Reaching under the neckline of her shirt, Kagome pulled out a long chain with a key dangling at the end.

She whipped it over her head and set to opening the contraption.

Souta slowly walked over and sat on her bed. He peered down at her, frowning.

"Why do you need your bows, Kagome?" He asked quietly.

With a light grunt of effort, she pushed the lid open. She paused, simply staring at her hankyubow. It had survived a lot: a long life in the Feudal Era, a trip through time and her fumbling attempts to thread a Kevlar string through it when her hemp one had finally given up the ghost.

She picked it up and reverently ran her fingers over the handle. It should have gone with her to her apartment, but for some reason, Kagome had not wanted the reminder of her past life in her new one. She had started over, left her warrior past for a more mundane future.

A tingle of anticipation skittered up her spine when she picked up her quiver of arrows. She slung it over her shoulder with only a little fumbling and clutched her weapon to her chest as she stood. Facing Souta, she decided to just tell the truth.

"You know how demons are coming through the opened portal between our worlds?"

Souta nodded. "You said it was not going to be a problem, since your reiki wasn't working anymore. You'd just appear like a regular human to them."

Kagome flinched and ran a hand over her face. "Well it's working now."

"_What_? How?" Souta stood. "Are you in danger?" His hands landed on her shoulders when she tried to scuttle away. He forced her to look at him. "Kagome, don't you dare keep me in the dark anymore."

She averted her eyes guiltily. "I don't know if I'm in danger yet. But I can't get a handle on my reiki. It's just…" She tried to find a way to help him understand. "Swirling, I guess? I can't keep it _in_. And that's bad if I want to hide it."

He frowned. "Why do you want to hide it?"

"It's an instinct thing. Like how your hand jerks back when you touch a hot stove. Demons don't like the feeling… I don't think I'm in danger, but I'd feel a lot safer if I had a weapon. At least until I learn how to use my power again."

His jaw firmed and his jaw tilted up towards the ceiling. "Well that's that, you're staying here."

"Souta, no! I can't-"

"No! You can't go out there when there are demons roaming the streets, just-"

"Souta, you don't know what you're talking about!"

"Only because you never tell me the truth!"

They were too busy yelling at each other, they almost did not hear the noise coming from the back. It was Kagome who stopped first at the sound of voices. Her eyes widened in shock. Souta's teeth clanked together as he fought to swallow his words.

The woman darted to the window. She made sure not to stand in front of it, instead pressing up on the wall next to it and carefully peering outside. There were about three people in her view, roaming the Shrine grounds. They talked quietly amongst themselves.

Two of them, Kagome did not recognize. One was a woman with blue hair, the other a tall man with an orange pompadour. But the priestess definitely recognized the man with the scuffed tennis shoes that stomped into her eye line. She struggled to hear what he was saying.

"Are we doing this or not? How are we supposed to be polite when you dump us in her backyard? Nothing says 'Hello, we're harmless," like breaking and entering, eh?"

Souta gasped. Kagome slunk away to join her brother. She was the one pulling him now as she took him into the hallway.

"Stay here," she ordered authoritatively. "Don't open the door, don't let them see you." She paused. "They can probably hear you or smell you if they're the right kind of demon, but I think at least one of them is human. I can't get a read on the girl. Man, this stuff is hard when you're out of practice."

Souta lightly poked her cheek. "You're rambling."

She stopped dead before chuckling. The woman let out a long breath and tried to calm her heart. Her hands were shaking with the adrenaline. "Sorry. Just… stay here. They want me, so I'm going to go."

"No!" Souta hissed and grabbed for her but she danced out of his reach.

Kagome sent him a smirk and a jaunty wave before dashing down the stairs. He clattered after her, but the football star was having trouble keeping up with his slippery sister. She grabbed her keys from the table at the front entrance, flicked the lock and threw the door open.

Souta stumbled to a halt when she suddenly turned. Her hair haloed around her face and the outside light formed a corona around her head. Her eyes dug into him, bright and joyful.

"I'll be fine, little brother." She declared. "I always am. Lock the door."

Her loose hair swirled behind her as she slammed the door shut. Pinning her eyes to the sidewalk at the bottom of the stairs, she sprinted for it. Her bow smacked against her calves and against the stone and the strap of her quiver was a little too loose for her liking. But this was not about being comfortable anymore.

This was about survival.

Run first, ask questions later.

"Stop!" A voice sounded behind her. She did not dare look back. There were a few more shouts and the clatter of feet, but she was almost there.

Kagome briefly misjudged her foot placement and at the speed she was going, it was enough. Her upper body pitched forward and her feet faltered dangerously. Her processing slowed as her eyes tracked her descent to the hard pavement. She was still about halfway up. A tumble down the stairs would do some serious damage.

She shut her eyes, but then there was a yank on the back of her quiver. She gagged as the strap caught on her neck but the action pulled her upright. Once she was planted solidly on a stair, she swung her bow sharply back at the person who was still pulling at her quiver.

It made contact and a masculine groan of pain was Kagome's reward. With a couple of hops, she quickly returned to her regular rhythm down the stairs. When her feet hit the sidewalk, her first thought was to just keep running as far and fast as possible.

But before she could do so, a pitch black car quickly slid to a stop on the road right before her feet. She gasped and tried to turn away from the street, but her reflexes were no match for the occupants of the car. The back passenger's side door flew open-missing her by inches- and a long fingered hand grabbed her arm.

With a stumbling jump, she fell headfirst into a plush seat. Someone grabbed the lapels of her jacket and pulled her all the way into the vehicle. The door shut behind her feet, the locks engaged and a powerful engine roared to life as they peeled away.

Kagome lifted herself up to peer out the back window. Coming to a halt on the pavement was a man with bright red hair. He was getting smaller, but she was still close enough for her frantic gaze to meet his. They kept that contact until the car swerved around the corner and her view was lost.

She took a sudden shuddering breath in and slumped into the seat. Kagome pressed a hand to her chest. Her lungs stung with the force of her breaths.

A water bottle was thrust under her nose. "Drink this. Not too fast though."

Kagome jumped, remembering where she was. She scuttled to huddle against a door and gazed wildly at the sight before her.

She was in a very expensive car. The kind she had only seen in movies, where there were two rows of seats in the back, facing each other. She was sitting on the row closest to the trunk. Across from her sat two business men.

They were dressed immaculately in dark suits with fancy cufflinks and sharp looking shoes. The one farthest from her took one disinterested glance at her trembling form before returning to peer at a black folder in his hands. He was very young looking, with a long, thin ponytail draped over one shoulder.

The man right across from her wore a wide smile and wait-no shoes? She checked his counterpart's feet. Yup that one had shoes. The other one did not.

Kagome risked a glance at the shoeless man's face. He looked to be middle aged, maybe around fifty or so, judging by the crow's feet and laugh lines. The hand that was holding out the water bottle belonged to him. She gasped.

"You're my neighbor," she blurted dumbly. "F-f-from down the road."

He ignored her and shook the water bottle. "Take it. You need it."

Something about his voice was compelling enough for her to listen. She snatched it with a quick "thank you," but did not move to open it.

The man only laughed. As he did so, something very strange happened. His short hair started getting lighter, going from a jet black to a light brown before lightening to blonde. All the yellow bled from his hair and was replaced with a glint that made his hair gain a metallic sheen. His eyes transformed from a light hazel to a stunning shade of goldenrod.

Kagome switched her gaze to the stranger's partner and gasped when she saw the transformation affecting him too. His ponytail was now silver, his eyes gold, and two swipes of magenta were darkening on his cheekbones; complimenting the indigo crescent moon on his forehead.

Her heart was beating faster than it had when she was sprinting. She whimpered, overwhelmed with the implications. Returning her gaze to the man who had lived down the road from the Shrine for as long as she could remember, her breathing faltered altogether when she saw the animal ears on the top of his head.

"Inu-Inuyasha?" Kagome tried hesitantly.

His ears swiveled in a way she knew all too well. "Yes," he answered.

**oOo**

**Notes:** A _yumi_ is the name of a bow that most warriors used in the Feudal Era. However, it can reach over six feet long, which is definitely not what Kagome had in the manga or anime and for the sake of moblity purposes, it just would not work having her lug around such a big weapon. They did use hankyu, which is a "half-bow," half of the length of a yumi and a little more manageable for someone not riding a horse.

Also, I know a lot of you have questions about timelines like how old is Kagome, or when did she get back. Those questions will be answered very soon, please have patience.

Anon Review Replies:

SnowMiko: I am very happy to hear that, and hey that's cool that you would even make all that effort to log in. Thanks for letting me know what you think!

lillith: Thank you so much for your reviews and I hope this story answers all of your questions. Thanks for reviewing!


	4. Chapter 4

All familiar properties belong to the owners of Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho. I own nothing, I'm just futzing with their ideas.

So, I was planning on this being only around five chapters. Due to all of your enthusiasm and my tendencies to let a plot run wild, I know it's going to be a bit longer than that. I'll let you know what the plan is as soon as I have it figured out, haha.

My sincere thanks goes out to all the people who read this, put this on their alerts and put this on their favorites. Also I want to thank these people for reviewing: Spastic Freak, Gimei, Mondtanz, gincitri, kitsune-snuggler12, dancingfingers, Diane, Silversun XD, Kira Kyuu, Youko's Befuddled Fox, Applejax XD, KuroNeko, The Path of Supreme Conquest, a Guest, Fyuu, Foxluna, Lady Artimes Blane, kristina. 3, fredisagirl, PatrinePtn, dxlmao, rspringb, lillith, Valleygoat and fallingyuki. I've never gotten so many reviews for one chapter, so I was super excited.

Also, if I did not respond to your review, then that was unintentional and a total accident. I'm trying to respond to each one but my strategy needs to be tweaked a bit. Here have a chapter.

Enjoy!

**oOo**

Blue met green for a painfully long instant. Kurama was entranced, fascinated by the way her inner energies lit up her eyes. He stared until the car disappeared and then the hold broke. He blinked and awareness of his surroundings slowly bled back.

As he stepped off the pitch asphalt and onto the worn pavement, he heard Yusuke swear colorfully. The avatar's gaze flicked up to see the former Detective plop heavily on the step and pull up one of his pant legs with a sneer.

"She packs a wallop!" Yusuke exclaimed.

Kurama moved closer to inspect Yusuke's wound for himself. Yusuke's shin from ankle to knee was inflamed, except for the spot of impact, which was snowy white. The blood had completely vacated the skin and the color promised severe nerve damage. The injury was similar to a heat burn but Kurama could not help feeling sorry for the hanyou.

A lesson a demon needed to learn only once: Purity burns _hurt_.

Yusuke tried to touch his skin. He flinched back and hissed, prompting another round of curses.

"Why isn't it healing?" He growled.

Kurama shook his head and was already sifting through his hair to collect the seeds he would need. "For demons, it is very difficult to recover from spiritual damage from a priestess. The energy that she had embedded in the wound will resist all attempts from your youkai to heal it. At least until the foreign power fades. I suspect that you will need to let it heal at a human pace, not at your otherworldly one."

By this time, Kuwabara and Botan had made their way down the stairs.

Before Yusuke could let out an angry retort, Kuwabara was already talking.

"Whoa, that's nasty." He whistled. "Haven't seen you get hurt like that in a long time, Yusuke! Usually you just get bruises."

Yusuke looked murderous.

Botan huffed. "Well, that wasn't very nice. We were just trying to talk to her!"

"Before or after we chased her out of her house?" Yusuke snapped.

Again, Kuwabara interrupted things before it could get mean. "I saw that car that picked her up. What was _that_? Oh hey, Kurama, did you get the license plate number?"

Kurama felt the weight of everybody's combined attention at they looked at him. He sifted through the demonic herbs in his hands, feeling like there was something he missed. All he could remember was seeing Higurashi's startled gaze and-oh. Had he forgotten himself for a moment? Forgotten the mission? The setting?

Well that was troublesome.

Clearing his throat, he nodded, and all the floating pieces of his mind snapped firmly back into place. "I did, Kuwabara. Perhaps, Botan, you can get the Spirit World's information on the car? Yusuke needs to put something on that burn so it can heal properly and lessen the pain."

"I'm not in pain," Yusuke gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Of course not, just a precaution." Kurama assured.

Botan nodded, and pulled out a notepad and a pencil from one of her sleeves. "I'll call it in!" She dutifully scribbled down the number when it was given and with a hop and a twirl, she left to find somewhere to make the call.

"So what do we do now?" Kuwabara asked while scratching the back of his neck. "Why didn't we just follow them?"

Kurama shook his head. "She has help now. It would be wiser to assess the situation first and see what we are facing. I did not feel anything significant about the auras from the occupants of the car, but that does not prove very much. Secondly, Yusuke really does need to do something about his leg."

"I'm fine!" Yusuke declared, but the beads of sweat on his forehead denoted otherwise. In a fit to prove himself, he stumbled to his feet and almost overbalanced.

As usual, Kuwabara showed a surprising amount of tact while acting as oblivious as ever. Standing a couple of stairs above Yusuke, he was in a perfect position to catch his friend. Grinning and happily clapping his friend on the shoulder, he allowed the hanyou to use the strong grip to steady himself.

"Duh. We knew that!" Kuwabara rumbled. "That's nothing compared to the stuff you've gone through before!" He stopped suddenly as something seemed to occur to him. "But how are we gonna explain the scar away to Keiko?"

Yusuke froze and he turned a wide eyed gaze to Kurama. "It's not gonna scar, is it?"

Kurama tried very hard to hide a smirk. It worked. His face was impassive as he gave a single nod. "If we do not treat it right away, it is definitely a possibility."

"Fine!" Yusuke relented, shaking off his friend's hand. "But where are we going to find a place for you to put this on? My apartment's across town."

Kurama looked up towards the shrine. "Someplace that is known for helping the downtrodden. Perhaps they'll overlook our previous faux-pas? "

Kuwabara shrugged. "We have nothing to lose!" He declared.

The large man leaned down and grabbed the back of Yusuke's jean jacket. With a bright smile decorating his face, he happily stomped his way up the stairs. Yusuke put up a token effort of thrashing and verbal threats but everyone knew the help was necessary. The trip up would have been extremely difficult with his leg.

After a pause, Kurama followed. This time, he did allow himself a small grin at his friends' antics.

When they made it up to the stairs and towards the house, a young man was waiting for them at the door. He had one hand stuffed in a pocket and the other holding a baseball bat over one shoulder. The newcomers calmly walked up to face him, once Kuwabara had let Yusuke go.

Kurama recognized the man immediately from Higurashi's pictures. A relative of hers. Perhaps her brother?

Of course, Yusuke decided this was the exact moment to make trouble.

"A baseball bat?" He snorted. "Like that's gonna scare us?"

The stranger had the bat tapping the underside of Yusuke's chin in a surprising show of speed. "I may not be like 'Gome, but living here, you learn a few tricks."

Kurama's eyes narrowed. Indeed. Though the energy pulsing through the bat was very weak, it was enough to charge the air. Even Kuwabara could feel it, as evidenced by his raised eyebrows.

Could they have found _another_ person with spiritual powers? There was a sutra taped to the bat, but as far as Kurama could tell, the energy was coming from the boy alone. Finding one needle in a haystack was luck, finding two reeked of the machinations of Fate.

"Pardon my associate," Kurama soothed, stepping forward. The stranger frowned and whipped his head to face the redhead. He did not move the bat.

Interesting. Did the boy see the injured Yusuke as the greatest threat? That was almost insulting.

"What do you guys want? Here and with Kagome?" The young man asked petulantly.

"We only want to talk," Kuwabara burst. "Honest!"

He got a skeptical raised brow for his efforts. "That definitely looked like _talking_."

"He tells the truth," Kurama assured. "We would not do anything to harm Higurashi-san."

The human paused, glaring at Kurama for a long second. His eyes flickered between the three men, assessing. It was only when his eyes caught Yusuke's rolled pant leg that his harsh expression softened. He sighed and swung the bat back up to his shoulder.

His gaze returned to Kurama's. "She said you were a demon, but she never said not to trust you. I don't know where she's going, but if you need hot water and bandages, you can find that here."

Kurama gave a small bow. "We would appreciate it."

He shrugged and turned to make his way into the house. All hostility seemed to have bled from his frame. "Just get inside before Oji-san gets here and tries to smother you with sutras. You're too pretty to not be a demon."

Yusuke choked out a surprised laugh but Kuwabara just looked embarrassed for the kitsune. Kurama straightened, again unsure if he should be offended.

Was everyone in the Higurashi family trying to make him confused?

It was working.

He followed the younger man inside the house anyway. The secrets this family held promised to be well worth his time.

oOo

There are times in every sentient being's life where things that were once important seem to fade away. Things such as the surrounding environment, the situation that led up to this instant, or if there are any others in the vicinity to witness the reaction. For Kagome Higurashi, this was one of those moments.

For her, nothing else existed. All she could see was her oldest friend sitting in front of her.

With a cry, she launched herself across the small space between them to engulf him in a fierce hug.

Nothing else mattered. Not her bow, which had clattered to the floor. Not the dispassionate gaze of Sesshomaru as he inclined his head to the side to avoid getting hit by a stray limb. Not the awkward positioning of her body or the fact she was sweaty and her calves burned from all that running.

Inuyasha smelled different. He smelled less like fire-rat and the wild outdoors and more like tiny hint of cologne and laundry detergent. But his hair was still soft when she buried her damp face into it and his clawed hands were still strong as they wrapped around her body.

For a long while, Kagome found she could not form words. When she tried, all that came out were embarrassing hiccupping sobs. Inuyasha simply gave her a couple of rough pats on her back and pulled her closer.

She was shivering, she realized. Shivering and leaving snot all over his nice suit and she could not bring herself to care as she stuck her face into his broad shoulder. So many things had happened since she last saw him.

At fifteen years, Kagome made a wish. When it came true, the jewel slammed back into her body and forcefully ejected her out of her home and into a place that had become foreign to her.

At sixteen, she realized that no matter how much she cried or pleaded, the well would not let her back to see her Feudal family. Not even when she tried to use logic. Even if she still had the jewel, the portal lay still and extinct.

At eighteen, Kagome went through her usual morning routine. Take care of her most pressing matters, brush her hair, her teeth. Change. She was on the second task when she realized that something just felt _different_. When she called up her rusty reiki to check, she realized that it was not responding. Panicking, she dug out her bow from under the mess that was her closet and tried to let loose a spirit charged arrow outside.

It did not work.

Kagome threw such a wild and desperate tantrum, that it scared all of the occupants of the house.

At nineteen, Kagome decided to move on with her life.

At twenty, she picked up her bow and started practicing again. She would trace the new calluses on her hands in class and it was enough to get her through the monotony.

At twenty-one, she moved out of the house and into another part of town. She said it was so she could be closer to her trade-school. Her mama knew it was because the sight of the well made Kagome physically sick.

At twenty-two, Kagome graduated as a qualified accountant. As a celebration, she visited the shrine. Late that night, when even Buyo was asleep, she snuck out to the well. She sat there until dawn, whispering all of her secrets into the black depths. She was exhausted the next day but her shoulders were light.

At twenty-three, Kagome finally quit her job at the coffee shop and ran all the way to her apartment to call her mother about getting accepted into her new job. She squealed and jumped around, before pulling out a take-out menu and blowing all of her savings on a huge meal. A portion was set aside in honor of her friends who could not be there. She felt okay about it.

Today, Kagome could not explain the joy that was rushing through her. Her grip reflexively tightened, before she forced herself to pull away.

Her eyes darted across Inuyasha's face as she imprinted the look of it into her mind. There were some incongruities and she zeroed in on them immediately. Her hand came to his face and she traced the wrinkles on his face with a feather light touch.

But his eyes were still golden warm and his smirk still impossibly cocky. She peered up at him in awe.

"Keh, are you just going to keep staring, or are you gonna say hi?"

Kagome blinked. "I-Inuyasha…" she breathed. "You're… you're old."

The smirk fell off his face and was replaced by something softer, unfamiliar. "It happens when you've lived over five hundred years."

She fell back and covered her traitorous mouth with her hands. Really, Kagome, really? After eight years of missing her best friend, the first thing she could say was that he looked like a middle aged man?

"N-No! Sorry, that's not what I meant! I meant, yeah you look older and I wasn't expecting it, but you know, I just remember when you looked fifteen and I want to say hello, it's so good to see you and I think I'm crying and I can't believe you lived here all these years-Ican'tstopmakingmymouthmovehelp."

Thankfully, Inuyasha simply laughed at her and gathered her into another hug. It was easy to make her mouth stop when her whole face was crushed into a hard chest.

"I missed you too, Silly."

Kagome relaxed. _That_ was the Inuyasha she remembered. So what if her best friend looked like he was in his early fifties? She looked older too. That was just a fact of life.

Calmer now, she untangled herself and slid back into her seat. She wiped at her eyes before trying again.

"I-I missed you, Inu. I can't believe you're here."

Inuyasha sprawled out, leaning an arm on the door. None of his swagger had faded; in fact, he seemed to have grown into it. He had once worn his overconfidence like his fire rat. Now it was less of a mask and more like a truth.

"You better believe it. Been around since the seventies, waiting for you to show up." He hooked a clawed thumb towards his brother. "This one was determined to snatch you up as soon as you got back but something happened and he couldn't sense you properly anymore."

"_You_ could not sense her either, half-breed."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes but smirked at the teasing. Kagome was dumbfounded.

"Then you moved away, and you disappeared off the map! Your family wouldn't tell me where you were, and even going through government files was not enough."

"My contact in the Records office has been properly eviscerated."

Kagome had no doubt of that. She blinked when Inuyasha leaned in, his gaze fierce.

"How am I supposed to protect you wench, when I can't even find you?"

The happiness that had suffused Kagome had made her relaxed and complacent. When Inuyasha broke into her personal space, she felt something very familiar. Anger. He still knew how to press her buttons.

Her jaw dropped. He was trying to make _her_ feel guilty? Where did he get off? He was watching the whole time when she was moping around because she thought all her friends were_ dead_. He could not even say hello?

No. That was not acceptable.

Her limbs and aura flailed about as she tried to sit straighter in her seat. She slipped a bit on the buttery leather and caught Inuyasha's leg with a kick. It did not make her feel better. It was just a start.

"How was I supposed to know?" She exclaimed. "Whoops, sorry Inu, that I didn't tell you where I lived. I did not know you _existed_."

Inuyasha flinched back, his hand going to his chest where a rosary once lay.

"I spent years looking for youkai!" Kagome continued. "Years looking for _you_ before my reiki died, and you couldn't even come to tell me you were still alive?! I was _miserable _without you!"

She picked up her bow from the floor and gripped the handle tightly so she did not bludgeon Inuyasha over the head with it. Her knuckles went white.

Kagome opened her mouth to continue but Sesshomaru stepped in.

"Miko, control yourself." He ordered harshly. "Unleashing your aura is not advised in such an enclosed space."

Kagome blinked, and realized that Inuyasha was legitimately cowering now and Sesshomaru had a hand to his temple like he had a headache. Their eyes were slowly bleeding red. The woman tried hastily reaching out to pull it back in but it only seemed to make the situation worse.

She slouched away from them like it would help.

"Kagome!"

"I-I can't! I'm trying, but I don't remember!"

There was a flare of youki and it was pressing against her, robbing her of breath. Her own energy pulsed once before she realized that it was not attacking her, simply putting up a barrier. It enclosed her, keeping her powers swirling in a tightly packed space. It was a little suffocating but she allowed it, feeling guilty for losing control like that.

Inuyasha spoke up again, this time a little quieter. "I could not find you again until I felt the energy spike. The bastard came here as soon as I notified him."

"What happened to your energy, Priestess, that we could not sense it and that you cannot control it now?" Sesshomaru asked as he kept up the barrier. He blinked languidly at her and Kagome wished she could read his tiny nuances.

"It disappeared."

"What?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Impossible. Explain."

Kagome shrugged, suddenly feeling exhausted. It had been a long day and all she wanted to do was bury under her heavy comforter in her apartment and sleep for a week. "I… I didn't want it anymore. It reminded me too much of… I thought it would be better if I just wasn't a priestess anymore; it wasn't like there were youkai around. And one day I woke up and my reiki was gone. I couldn't access it; I couldn't force it to come back."

She smiled lightly at Inuyasha, because addressing Sesshomaru's intense stare was a little too intimidating at the moment. Maybe when she felt less raw. "It was only until I felt youki again that I could use it."

Sesshomaru's upper lip imperceptibly twitched. His version of a sneer. "Yes," he said. "The meddling of the Spirit Detectives. Tell me, what compelled you to work for a kitsune avatar?"

Kagome blinked and watched when the daiyoukai reached over to pick up the identification card that still miraculously hung around her neck on a lanyard. He studied both sides, his eyes scanning the details. He did not touch her, but still, his proximity was unnerving. She tried to keep her aura from touching him before he soon retracted his hand to safety.

"I didn't know. I don't even know what a Spirit Detective _is_. I applied to all the major firms in my area, and they were the ones who offered me a job with the best pay."

"Greed?" Sesshomaru prodded.

Her eyes flashed. "Practicality. I needed to make a living."

"Lay off," Inuyasha growled at his brother. He crossed his arms. "Not all of us are rich in both Worlds."

"I am simply attempting to figure out this… coincidence." He tilted his head to the side.

Trying to get away from his gaze, Kagome turned to Inuyasha. "Are you guys going to explain things to me soon? I have no idea what's going on."

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, as soon as we get to the hotel."

Kagome brightened. "Will I be able to take a bath?"

The hanyou grinned. "Keh, I knew you were gonna ask that."

**oOo**

**Anon Review Replies:**

Diane: Whoops, so I did. It's fixed now so thank you so much for pointing it out.

KuroNeko: Ugh, even I wouldn't stick him in Hell like that. That would be extremely unfair, I think. Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you liked it. :)

A Guest: Is that a good "Oh my gwad!" or a bad "Oh my gwad!"? Haha thanks for reviewing!

lillith: Thank you very much, I hope you enjoyed it.


	5. Chapter 5

All familiar properties belong to the owners of Yu Yu Hakusho and Inuyasha. I own nothing, I'm just futzing with their ideas.

I want to thank these people for reviewing: The Path of Supreme Conquest, Tamadream, KEdakumi, dancingfingers, Lady Artimes Blane, Gimei, Spastic Freak, Izno, kristina. , KuroNeko, Youko's Befuddled Fox, lillth, Silversun XD, ultima-owner, Miko-Rei, dxlmao, Nobodies Perfect-Not Even You, RatherFabulous, fallingyuki, fredisagirl, Foxluna, Valleygoat and g2fan. My thanks also goes to those who put this story on their various alerts. It means a lot!

**oOo**

The three men all settled in front of a small table in the front room. Kurama carefully folded himself into a kneeling position while Yusuke fell heavily onto a pillow. Kuwabara practically bounded into place.

The human gave them one last frown before giving them a curt: "Wait here."

When he disappeared out the door, Kurama took the time to inspect his environment. He took in everything from the lace cloth on the table to the art scrolls and pictures of various generations of what he assumed to be the family on the walls. The furnishings reminded him how his mother had taken pains to put personal touches on her house to make it as cozy as possible.

While it did not affect his posture, something taut in his spine relaxed.

The young man soon returned. His bat had been replaced with a white plastic box and a bag of chips in one hand and a covered bowl filled with a clear liquid in the other. He settled himself between Kuwabara and Yusuke and set the bowl and box on the table. He kept the chips to himself.

"I'm Souta by the way. Got you hot water and a first-aid kit." He looked at Kurama. "Do you need anything else?"

Kurama leaned forward and flicked the box open. He inspected it with a critical eye. Just as he had suspected, it was the same as the one Higurashi had at her apartment.

"No, thank you. This looks very well stocked." When Souta did not rise to the bait, Kurama tried a more direct approach. "Are there many injuries in this household?"

The younger man had a surprisingly proficient poker face. He shrugged and loudly opened the bag in his hands. Kuwabara peered longingly at the food.

"I do sports," Souta replied.

An honest answer with a touch of misdirection. Kurama was amused. He smiled politely as he took the lid off the bowl. A wave of steam hit his face and he appreciated the foresight. The temperature was perfect.

Gathering some bandages from the kit, he also took a disinfectant cloth and carefully cleansed his hands. On the lid from the bowl, he started crushing his plants to make a paste.

Kuwabara decided this was the time to make introductions. "It's good to meet you, Souta." He grinned. "I'm Kuwabara Kazuma! The whiny guy is Urameshi Yusuke, but he's an idiot, so you can call him that."

"Hey!" Yusuke growled and jerked forward. "If this table wasn't between us, I swear-"

"And I am Minamino Shuichi," Kurama smoothly cut in. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Souta nodded and simply watched as he steadily made his way through the chips. He did notice Kuwabara's gaze and with a long suffering sigh, the stranger held out the bag.

"Chips?"

Kuwabara made a happy noise and gratefully grabbed a generous handful. He made sure to stuff his mouth with a sizeable amount of food before offering a garbled, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Souta snickered even though it was obvious he was trying to remain stern.

Kurama moved onto lifting Yusuke's fallen pant leg. Souta let out a whistle. The damage from up close was impressive.

"She did that?" Souta asked with both shock and pride coloring his voice.

They all knew which "she" he was speaking of.

"Your sister is very talented," Kurama murmured. He looked up from the wound to inspect Souta's face. The boy's eyes flickered in warning, but did not deny the connection.

"Hell of a backswing," Yusuke grumbled, trying not to wince as Kurama placed the cooling paste on the inflamed skin. "Your sister ever play tennis?"

Souta snorted. "She was never really one for team sports."

Did that mean she played sports? Before Kurama could dig, Yusuke huffed again, hiding his pain.

"Well she knows how to make a demon hurt." It was a generous compliment from Yusuke. Even if it was backhanded.

An excited light sparked behind Souta's eyes. He leaned over to look at Yusuke in the face.

"Are you a demon?"

"He's a halfer!" Kuwabara declared, finally looking up from the pilfered chip bag.

Souta froze. "A hanyou?"

Kurama carefully turned away to gather more bandages as all of his senses focused on Souta. Kurama took note of the stranger's emotions on his scent, the rate of the boy's heartbeat, the eyelashes on his widening eyes.

Yusuke gave a wide smile, showing off his fangs. "A Masukou, technically, but it doesn't really matter."

Souta sat back heavily. Kurama filed away the expression he saw. It looked like… loss.

"It's all done," the avatar informed, carefully checking over the tightly wrapped wound. He believed that the paste would indeed heal Yusuke's skin. The amount of kitsune youki embedded in the ingredients was minimal, but the presence of another form of energy would most likely force the purity away faster. In all, Kurama was very sure that Yusuke would be fine.

With no scar for Keiko to worry over.

Souta sighed. "You guys won't just leave now that you're done, will you?"

"You're the one who invited us in," Yusuke replied. "But here's what's gonna happen. We'll let you know what we're doing here, and if it pisses you off, you can kick us out. Whatever. But it'd be better for your sister if you helped us."

Souta's jaw firmed as his eyes flashed dangerously. Kuwabara shifted as he felt Souta's aura faintly crackle with that strange energy again.

"Are you threatening her?"

Yusuke bared his fangs again, this time in a response to the rising aggression. "No. We're trying to protect her. We're the good guys."

Souta scoffed and crossed his arms. "Depends on your definition of a good guy."

The point went to the younger Higurashi, Kurama mused. That was a fair statement, but one that spoke of experience with such matters. What had happened to the boy to make him see in shades of gray?

oOo

After about half an hour, the car slid into a valet parking area. Kagome was escorted out of the car and into a hotel lobby. It was right in the middle of downtown and was pretty swanky. As soon as they walked through the front doors, Kagome could not keep in her gasp.

"Whoa," she breathed as their footsteps echoed on the pale pink marble floor. Kagome did not know if she wanted to look at the fountain or the gleaming reception desk first. "This place is cool!"

"Hnn, it is adequate."

"He's just saying that 'cause it's mine."

Kagome's eyes widened and her head whipped over to Inuyasha. "You own a hotel? _This_ is yours?"

He shrugged, as if it should be no surprise that the wild hanyou of Kagome's memories had grown up to become a businessman. "Joint venture. I own the building-"

"And I, the land."

"I was gonna say that if you let me breathe. Over a century and you still can't wait to brag."

Sesshomaru, who had reverted to his human persona along with his brother, brushed some of his hair out of his face. A feminine move on anyone else, he made the act of running his hand over his ponytail look masculine. And entirely haughty. It reminded Kagome on how he used to treat his fur, and she had to hide a giggle.

"It is only boasting if it is not true."

Inuyasha huffed in response and led the way to the shining bay of elevators. Smartly dressed employees greeted him with a smile and a bow as he passed. Sesshomaru followed while making it seem like he was not, and Kagome could do nothing but trail helplessly behind the two.

She felt inadequate to be in such lush surroundings. Her eyes widened when she passed a magnificent bouquet of live orchids and scuttled away as fast as she could when an employee with a golden nametag and a bleach white smile welcomed her. She was very aware of the run in her hose and the sound of her scuffed-up clearance pumps clacking on the polished floors.

When they got to the top-floor penthouse, Kagome was too overwhelmed to care when Sesshomaru gave her a once over. She only dug her toes deeper into the plush cream carpet as she held her tattered two-inch heeled shoes in her hand.

"Your outfit is not adequate," he dismissed. "You will wash and a new set of clothes will be provided to you."

Feeling more and more drained by the second, Kagome turned to her friend. "Inu?"

Thankfully, he seemed to sense how lost she was and protectively moved to stand between the daiyoukai and the priestess. He bent close, making sure he was the only one she saw.

"We're gonna explain everything, promise. But first, we gotta make sure you're okay. You smell distressed and there's no way we're going to talk seriously when it's obvious you're dead on your feet."

Inuyasha had never been good at showing he cared for her. So the fact that his concern was so blatant this time made Kagome's eyes misty.

"Okay, but Inuyasha?" She grabbed his sleeve when he tried to herd her to a bedroom. "Can you at least explain to me why you couldn't track me down? After I lost my reiki?"

He paused and then motioned for her to go into a side bedroom and led her to a thin vase filled with half a dozen long stemmed daisies. Inuyasha pulled one out and held it a couple of inches from her nose.

"In a way, your purity makes your scent very distinctive. I can smell it and tell it apart from all the other humans around. Take a breath."

She did and the vague scent of the daisy wafted towards her.

"So I was expecting you to smell different than everyone else. But when your reiki disappeared and I didn't know…" The hanyou placed the daisy back in the vase before shuffling the daises around. "Now smell the flowers and tell me which one was the one you smelled before."

Kagome furrowed her brow but walked over to the vase anyway. She tried really hard to distinguish between them all.

"I can't tell the difference," she admitted quietly. The realization of what he was trying to say was slowly creeping up on her.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Neither could I. I was so used to the smell of your purity defining you and it didn't even occur to me to search for you as if you were a regular human."

Kagome paused and sighed. "But why didn't you ever tell me you were around? I _missed _you."

A muscle in the man's jaw twitched and he looked away. "I tried asking your family where you moved. But they didn't know it was me. All your mom and grandpa saw was some old businessman asking where their little girl was."

She giggled when the implications sank in. "They probably thought you were a pervert!"

He snorted. "Miroku did all of that for me." Inuyasha sent her a glance out of the corner of his eye as Kagome folded in on herself.

The hanyou lightly gripped her elbow and guided her to the king sized bed in the middle of the room. He sat her down and bounced lightly on his feet as he stood before her. During the walk through the lobby, he had donned his shoes, only to ditch them in the private elevator. The claws on his toes dug lightly into the cream colored carpet.

"I'm sure you want to know what happened to them," he archly declared. "The monk and Sango got married and of course had an unhealthy amount of little humans and lived well off their slave labor. And those little humans went off and had more nuisances. And some were perverts and some were warriors and some behaved themselves long enough to pretend to be holy."

Kagome chuckled through her tears.

"And those holy descendants went all over Japan. But one always managed to stay at a shrine one of Miroku's sons had built near your well, no matter how many years passed. Some things were added to the shrine, some things taken down. Blah, blah, blah, history. And then one day, one of Miroku and Sango's descendants decided to be stupid and let herself get pulled down a magical well. End of story."

Inuyasha really needed to work on his delivery, but the message was clear. Kagome's teary eyes widened.

"Sango and Miroku were my really great-grandparents?" She breathed.

The hanyou smiled. "Yup."

The priestess' tears dried a little as a delighted smile overtook her face. "My ancestors taught me how to use my powers and how to fight? How cool is that? Who else gets to say that?"

"I'm sure they would have been proud of you," Inuyasha said. Anyone who knew the hanyou knew those words were the highest of praise. Kagome brightened even more and he relaxed as her sadness was chased away.

Then something occurred to _him_ and his face contorted in horror.

"Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

"That means t-th-that… _pervert_ groped his granddaughter!"

Kagome could not help it. She fell back into the bed as she dissolved into laugher.

oOo

After Inuyasha had been shooed from the room, Kagome took advantage of the robe hung neatly in a nearby wardrobe. She gleefully headed into the bathroom where an expansive tub lay. She stopped short of getting in, and instead eyed the gleaming jets warily.

This was the _pinnacle _of luxury. The smooth tub was light years above a muddy hot spring. There was even a little bench built in where she could sit and a pillow to rest her head. The oils and shampoos rimming the sides promised a bathing experience like no other. The whole set up promised an awesome time.

It also guaranteed that this dream come true would make her have some literal dreams as she fell asleep.

The real question was: Would she forgo a bath and sleep so she could get back out to the living room to have answers as soon as possible? Or would she take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity?

With a longing and possibly teary eyed glance at the bathtub, she stepped into the adjacent shower.

Once she had finished, she donned her underclothes and robe and walked out into the room proper. Inuyasha had informed her that clothes would be delivered soon, so she settled on the bed to wait…

A small hand on her shoulder jostled her into awareness. Kagome slowly opened her eyes to see an extremely short man glaring at her.

Wait, she was sure that most people did not have green skin. Or beaks.

The priestess sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. The demon in front of her stomped his feet. His tiny suit and little shiny shoes had confused her, but there was no mistaking that shrill voice.

"Your clothes have been delivered!" He announced and angrily pointed at a stack of boxes in the corner. "My generous Lord has instructed that you shall dress yourself appropriately."

"What is 'appropriate'? Appropriate for what?" Kagome breathed, staring at the demon's fedora.

The demon's eyes narrowed. "Of course your small human brain would have trouble comprehending even the most simple of commands!" He huffed and turned to angrily march out.

"Jaken? Uh… -sama?"

The kappa turned around to send Kagome a harsh scowl. She sent him a bright smile.

"It's good to see you again," she said sincerely.

Jaken's scowl disappeared in his shock and his face turned a strange shade of purple. He made a strangled noise before growling and waddling out of the room. Kagome's smile only widened when he slammed the door.

"I think I embarrassed him," she murmured.

Excitedly making her way to the stack of boxes in the corner, she tore her way through them all. She could not remember the last time she bought any new clothes. Her eyes widened when she saw the designer names. Her hands reverently ran over silk dresses and clutched at pure wool pencil skirts. The priestess had to sit down heavily on the floor when she opened one of the shoe boxes.

Kagome shook her head. None of this made sense. She thought they were going to find some way to bring her clothes from her apartment. She could not accept any of this.

"Jaken?" She called.

He angrily opened the door and stuck his head in. "What?" He snapped.

"A-are you sure all this is for me? It's... It's too much."

"At least you understand your place." His head disappeared, only to reappear again. He appeared chastised and even more furious. "My Lord says it is all yours. Is it insufficient?"

"No!" Kagome waved her hands. "It's-it's more than fine. Please tell him thank you for me."

With a reverent air, Kagome donned a plum silk sundress and black heels. It made the woman in her a little giddy to be wearing such beautiful clothes, even if she did pick out the least expensive objects given to her.

Why was Sesshomaru being so generous anyway? Why were he and Inuyasha together? What the heck was going on?

Smoothing down the front of the dress, she finally made her way out of the room. She needed answers now.

oOo

"What do you know about demons?" Yusuke asked Souta.

Souta paused. He soon resumed handing out water bottles to the Detectives with a thoughtful look on his face. Sitting down, he took a swig of water before replying.

"I know they're real, even if that seems obvious. We thought youkai were just in Oji-san's stories. I know there's a demon world and a human world and that some demons are being allowed in. I haven't heard about any humans getting to go to demon world though."

"But what do you know about demons themselves?" Kurama quietly asked.

Souta played with the label on his water bottle. "Oji-san always said that demons were marauders, murders, tricksters. But Kag-" He caught himself. "But we were always taught to respect all life. I think there can be good and bad youkai, just like there can be good and bad humans."

Kurama's face was inscrutable as he analyzed the boy across from him. But Kuwabara was grinning as he happily smacked the table.

"That's exactly right! Everyone can make their own choices to be good." The tall man enthused.

Yusuke rolled his eyes but he did not try to argue. "Okay. Well here's what we can tell you. Us three-" The detective motioned to his friends. "We work for Prince Koenma. He's the one who's in charge of this stuff and the one who took down the barrier. Our job is to keep the 'bad' demons out and keep them from hurting humans. We were doing that even before the barrier came down."

Souta's mouth fell open. "There were youkai here all this time? Then why didn't Kagome sense them-" The boy hinged his jaw shut.

Kurama raised an eyebrow but let Kuwabara speak.

"Can your sister sense demons?" Kuwabara leaned in. "I can sense demons too. I can also make a sword out of my spirit energy, which is pretty cool, if I do say so myself. Can your sister do that?"

Souta glared fiercely at Kuwabara, obviously angrier at his slip-up then at the Detective.

Yusuke sighed. "We wanted to talk to her to extend an invitation from Prince Koenma. He wants to meet her."

"She's the only priestess who has manifested her powers in generations. That makes her very valuable. If we don't find her, someone else might. Someone with amoral intentions." Kurama added.

"Yeah?" Souta hissed. "What is your Prince going to do with Kagome after he talks to her? Is he just going to let her go? Just like that? Did he let you guys go?"

"Hey, didn't we just say we were the good guys?" Yusuke burst in.

"No, not really." Souta replied haughtily. "I figure by now, 'Gome has gathered enough good karma that she deserves to live on a secluded mountaintop without having anyone else bother her for the rest of her life."

"But does she _want_ to live like that?" Kuwabara asked softly.

It hit a soft spot. Souta's face darkened dangerously and his aura stirred to life again. "Get out of my house. Get your things and get out."

The men nodded and slowly made their way to the front. Yusuke obviously wanted to argue some more, but they were here just to ask questions. Souta was a cornered animal and they did not want to provoke him. Collecting the discarded bat, Souta followed them out.

"Can you at least tell us where your sister is, or might be?" Kuwabara asked in a last ditch attempt, blocking the younger man from closing the door. "She should be able to make her own decision."

"No," Souta spat. "And she doesn't have a cell phone either."

Souta cleared Kuwabara out of the way with a jab to the stomach with the bat, and slammed the door shut.

Yusuke fumed his way down the stairs. "Well what do we do now?"

Kurama sighed. "We wait."

oOo

Kagome shyly walked to the living room located in the middle of the penthouse. "Is this all right?" She asked the Inu Lord situated on high-backed chair.

He submitted her to another piercing stare before nodding. "Sit."

She joined a lounging Inuyasha on the couch and wrung her hands.

"Your aura is calmer." Sesshomaru stated.

The priestess let out a laugh. "I'm calmer, so that helps. I also tried out a meditation exercise that Miroku-the monk we used to travel with-taught me, before I uh, fell asleep."

"That's good that you got some rest." Inuyasha declared, sniffing the air around her to confirm that she relaxed. "You have a long day ahead of you."

"Am I finally going to get some answers?"

"Yes." Sesshomaru said. "Starting with whom you belong to."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Excuse me? I don't belong to anyone!"

"You belong to this Sesshomaru and the House of the West."

Inuyasha interrupted before Kagome decided to use those long nails of hers. He glared fiercely at his brother.

"If you're not going to speak plainly, then you can shut up! I told you to talk to her on a human level."

Sesshomaru was unruffled. He placed his hands on the armrests on his chair, looking like a king. "But she has an understanding of youkai culture, does she not? Then comprehending pack claims should not be so difficult."

"She is right here!" Kagome seethed.

Inuyasha reached over and placed a hand on her arm. Kagome took the hint and sucked in a deep breath.

"Do you remember when I promised to protect you?" Inuyasha asked.

She nodded, remembering that day clearly.

"I made that promise and it implied that I would do so as long as I am capable. But since I have youkai in me, what I was really doing was making you a part of my pack."

Kagome's brow furrowed. "Pack?"

"Dogs are pack animals. And as an inuyoukai, those kinds of things are ingrained in our nature."

She nodded slowly. "Okay… I think I understand. So, you kind of made me family?"

Inuyasha let out a small smile. It was charming. "Something like that, yeah."

"Inuyasha is a part of the House of the West, of which I am the Head. You are his responsibility, and he is mine. By extension, you are mine as well." Sesshomaru deadpanned.

Kagome scooted closer to her friend. "I just don't think I'm really comfortable with all of this possessive language."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "That's just how the jackass talks."

"Like how you have to use foul language for no good reason?" Kagome teased.

"Keh."

Sesshomaru looked unimpressed at the banter. "It falls to us to ensure that all your human needs are met. That includes providing necessary items, such as clothing."

Kagome's hand lightly fisted in the fabric of her skirt. "You don't have to give me anything. I have enough clothes. These are far too expensive. And I can provide for myself, honest."

"Are you saying that our quarterly donations to the Shrine were never needed?" The Lord challenged.

Kagome's eyes widened. "You guys were the anonymous benefactors?"

Sesshomaru inclined his head in a nod and Inuyasha gave an embarrassed: "Keh, it was nothing."

"No," Kagome looked down and hid her lightly trembling hands under some of the pleats of her dress. They had been there the whole time. They had saved the Shrine more than once. "It was a lot."

Inuyasha leaned in. "We did it for you, Kagome. We're going to take care of you for the rest of your life… if you'll let us?"

She blinked away tears of gratitude. "I can't pay you back."

"There is no need to repay pack." Sesshomaru intoned.

oOo

"Wow. So there were demons in Japan this entire time?"

The trio had moved to a long dining table. Empty dishes from their meal were pushed aside as Kagome inspected the pictures Sesshomaru had handed her.

"Yeah. Sesshomaru mostly stays in Makai and controls his lands there. But I stayed and he has me look after his business on this side."

"And these… Spirit Detectives… eradicate demons?"

"Only the dangerous ones. They mostly herd them back to where they came."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "Why are you and Sesshomaru allowed in the human world then?"

Sesshomaru tilted his chin a bit, a way of appearing smug. "Prince Koenma only controls a small portion of the Makai, even if he controls the border and the human world. When his father forcibly removed youkai from this plane, I made sure to venture deep into the Makai and assert my dominance there."

Inuyasha translated. "Sess is a Lord in the Makai, so he has diplomatic immunity and can travel through the Spirit World's lands as much as he wants."

"Ah." Kagome nodded and returned to the pictures spread before her. All four of them had been explained.

There was the man with the scuffed shoes glaring up at her. Urameshi Yusuke. Despite his fierce expression, she liked something about him. His bravado reminded her of someone…

Then there was the human with the orange pompadour. Kazuma Kuwabara. She had seen him outside the Shrine and his expression was friendly and open.

Minamino-kacho was next. Sesshomaru had told her he was an avatar, a kitsune in a human body. She tapped the corner of the picture.

"It makes sense," she said. "That he's a kitsune. He's gorgeous and his features are very welcoming. But… his eyes… They're very closed off. Calculating almost."

"Hnn. Your instincts are discerning."

Kagome felt her neck heat under the unexpected praise. "It was nothing," she demurred. "Just a thought."

She moved onto the fourth picture of the demon she had not yet seen. All these pictures were candid shots of them on their missions, so Hiei's bandana covering his jagan eye was off. She sighed. From what Sesshomaru said, the man was a survivor of some pretty nasty things.

"No!" Inuyasha cut in as soon as he heard Kagome. "Don't you go feeling sorry for him! He'd rather run you through than talk to you! Stop it. He's a criminal, just like the rest of them."

"But Inuyasha, he-"

"No!"

"_You_ tried to run me through the first time I met you! So did Sesshomaru."

Inuyasha scowled. "That's different!"

Kagome smiled sweetly. "I don't see how it is."

"You will not endanger yourself unnecessarily." Sesshomaru ordered and that was that. Inuyasha growled lowly under his breath but said nothing more.

"Who was the girl with the blue hair that I saw? With the oar?"

"She is a spirit that transports departed souls to the Reikai." Sesshomaru answered.

Kagome's eyes widened. "She's a grim reaper? Why is she with them?"

It was Inuyasha's turn to talk. "She makes portals that transfer them wherever they need to go. From what we know, she does not always go on missions with them, but she's their quick link to the Spirit World."

"Oh." Kagome folded her hands in her lap and sighed. "Why are you two telling me all this? I kind of get that you're spying on them for your own security and stuff, but why tell me this? And when can I go back to my apartment or to the Shrine to tell Souta and Mama I'm okay? I probably got fired today for skipping out without calling it in, but I need to pay rent."

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru exchanged a glance.

"Kagome," Inuyasha started. "Now that your powers are manifesting, you're going to become a target."

She got the feeling they were about to tell her something that she did not want to hear. "And…?"

The hanyou sighed. "And you can either be killed by feral demons, or you can decide to choose two other options."

Sesshomaru lifted a finger. "The first option is to come and live in the Makai. You will not be allowed to return to the human world for any reason."

The priestess was flabbergasted. "But isn't it more dangerous to live in the demon world than in the human one? Why can't I contact my family?"

"On the contrary, Miko. You would be living with this Sesshomaru. There is nothing safer." Inuyasha snorted. "The presence of a holy ally would also discourage those who would be foolish enough to attempt an attack on the compound. The compound is also deep in the Makai, communication is difficult at best and traveling at a human pace on a regular basis would not be worth the effort and risk."

Kagome slumped in her chair. "And the other option?"

"If you desire to meet with Prince Koenma, he will offer you a job."

When no information was forthcoming, Kagome was suspicious. "What kind of job?"

Inuyasha was highly displeased as he answered. "He'll probably want to make you a Spirit Detective."

**oOo**

Note: You asked for Kouga and Shippo and I gave you Jaken. Whoops.

Anon Review Replies:

KuroNeko: Haha Sesshomaru is so Beast, he knows how to intimidate with his face! Yeah, I see no point in Inuyasha bashing. It's sad, especially since Inuyasha wasn't even a bad guy. A little foul mannered and dense, but... most guys are like that, haha. Thanks for reviewing!


	6. Chapter 6

All familiar properties belong to the owners of Yu Yu Hakusho and Inuyasha. I own nothing, I'm just futzing with their ideas.

I want to give a huge shout-out to these people for reviewing, it means a lot: Ayjah, BookFinder, Lady Artimes Blaine, Silversun XD, KuroNeko, The Path of Supreme Conquest, Mondtanz, dancingfingers, lillth, bribright91, PatrinePtn, FantasyofLunarMarina, KEdakumi, Aki WildQueen, Spastic Freak, rspringb, kristinamhayes3. ultima-owner, fallingyuki, Solara Moonset, Foxluna, dxlmao, fredisagirl, AnonymousInkBlot, tinabug, yue no rei and Pretzel poptarts. I also want to thank the people who put this on their favorites, story alerts or who are simply lurking. Thanks!

I apologize for the wait. This one was super hard to finish for some reason. I hope you still like it, though. Enjoy!

**oOo**

There was a long silence after Inuyasha's declaration. Kagome fidgeted, wringing her hands in her lap. She took a visible breath before meeting Sesshomaru's stone gaze.

"If I go with you, I'd still be able to see my family?"

Sesshomaru blinked in annoyance. "You do not understand the dangers the Maikai poses to one such as you."

It was not a firm "no." There was still room to work within. Kagome knew better but she tried her luck anyway.

"But..." She said. "_Never_?"

Youki flared in warning. "An occasional visit could be arranged. But _rarely_."

Kagome caught the growl in the elder Inu's voice. There was no need to continue. She had her answer.

Sensing her hesitance, Sesshomaru deigned to speak again. "There is a chance that you may not be made Spirit Detective. Perhaps the Prince's successful coup was not a fluke."

"Are you saying that the Prince may have grown?" Inuyasha scoffed. "Yeah, right. I'd be surprised if an original idea ever came out of his mouth." He laughed.

Nervousness laced Kagome's scent. Inuyasha shifted.

"Are you okay?" The hanyou inquired.

"It's… It's a big decision." She finally replied. The priestess peered up at the two youkai pleadingly, begging for forgiveness with her eyes. "I _want_ to go with you two. But… I can't leave my family like that."

How was she supposed to explain that she owed her family? That they were the ones who kept her in one piece even while she lost everything. They were strong. If she left them again, they would survive. If she left them… would _she _be able to go on?

There were other complications too. With Oji-san sick and Souta rising up the ranks of his soccer club, the responsibilities of the shrine fell solely to her Mama. How could a person realistically expect one woman to take care of her father-in-law and the Shrine at the same time?

Kagome's lips pursed and her chin canted up in determination. "They're my pack. I can't leave them."

Sesshomaru and Inuyasha exchanged a glance over Kagome's head.

Inuyasha smugly crossed his arms. "I told you that you'd never find anyone as loyal as her."

A small something in the daiyoukai's eyes glittered. He addressed Kagome. "So as long as your immediate family exists, you will stay with them?"

"Yes," was her immediate answer.

"Hnn." The youkai inclined his head in recognition of her claim.

"I guess that means we have to talk to the Prince then." Inuyasha concluded.

"I want to talk to Souta first." Kagome declared. "See if he's alright and tell him where I'm going."

"We can do that." The hanyou responded.

oOo

"The Spirit Detectives are watching." Inuyasha stated as the party of three made their way up the Shrine steps.

"Hnn."

Inuyasha looked at his brother. "Do you want to confront them, or are you gonna let me have this one?"

"No fighting on Shrine grounds, please." Kagome pleaded.

She was sandwiched in between the two men. Although they had their disguises on, they were making sure that their spiritual energy swirled violently around her. It was a primitive tactic to confuse anyone trying to locate her by aura alone. It also sent a clear message.

_She's ours_.

"Hnn. I guess that means that _I _will approach them."

"Shut up."

"We can figure this out after I talk to Souta." Kagome interrupted. She figured that she had lived through enough pissing contests to deserve a break today.

"Souta!" She called, banging on the locked front door. "Let me in!"

The door swung open, revealing a severely unhappy young man. "Where's your key?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I left it in my other pants."

Souta's eyes flicked down to her skirt. He frowned. Kagome interrupted him when he opened his mouth.

"It was a joke. Ugh, you don't have to tell me my humor is bad. Just let me in, please?"

He frowned and inspected the men on either side of her. "How do I know you're _my_ Kagome? You're wearing different clothes. And your weapon is gone. And you're with the pervy neighbor from down the street."

"Hey!"

"This isn't a spy movie, Souta!" Kagome protested. "You want to know it's me? Fine. What about that time you and Satoru went into Hitomi's locker and glued mini sausages all over it with a note that said: 'I wanna be-'_oof_!"

Souta lunged at his sister, covering her mouth with a hand. He wrestled her inside and allowed the men to show themselves in.

"Okay-okay! You can shut up now!" The red-faced Souta yelled over his sister's muffled attempts to continue. "You told me you would never tell!" He hissed in a quieter voice.

Kagome tried to pry her brother's hands off her face. She was laughing too hard to make any sense, but she tried. "W-weiner!"

"Kagome!"

"A-and when she-"

"Shut up, please!"

Kagome fell limp. Her face was entirely too satisfied to appear as innocent as she was making it. Souta released his sister in disgust.

"Traitor."

"Yes." She haughtily flipped her hair over her shoulder in jest before getting down to business. "So, I don't have my bow because it's back in the car-" She held up her hands to forestall Souta from interrupting. "-Which is okay because I have these guys to protect me. Sesshomaru, this is my brother Souta. Souta, this is an _old_ friend, Sesshomaru. And well… you already know the other guy."

Souta's brow furrowed. He turned his attention to Inuyasha only to gasp in shock as the disguises once again faded away. Shock turned into awe and awe turned into a heady mix of excitement and wistfulness. Sesshomaru's nose twitched at the smell of it.

Kagome smiled and backed deeper into the house to give the two men some room. Sesshomaru toed off his shoes and followed. Soon it was just Inuyasha and Souta facing each other in the foyer.

"Hey, kid." Inuyasha greeted, not bothering to suppress the small smile blooming on his face.

In that instant, Souta, no matter how tall he was or how deep his voice, reminded his sister of a boy long gone. "Inu-niisan?"

Inuyasha laughed. It was deep and booming and caused Kagome's smile to widen.

"I haven't heard that name in _centuries_!"

The human took one step forward, his jaw clenched. "You're alive?" Souta breathed.

"More or less."

Souta braved another step. "B-But you're here?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "It's good to see you too," he grumped, before closing the distance to engulf Souta in a bear hug.

The two men made sure to heartily beat each other on the back to make it manly enough, but there was no mistaking the brotherly affection in the gesture. Kagome wiped at the tears in her eyes before gazing up at the stoic watcher at her side.

"I'm going to go upstairs and get my purse." Kagome whispered. "I know I don't need it in the Reikai, but it's a security thing."

"Hnn."

Kagome darted up the stairs. When she returned, all was back to normal, the boys acting as nonchalant as ever. She smiled before directing them into the front room. Once they were settled and Kagome had made a quick pot of tea, she addressed her brother.

"I know you have a lot of questions, but I don't have the time to answer them all."

Souta nodded with a stony mien.

Kagome sighed. She had caused her family so much grief. "Are you okay? Did anything happen while I was gone?"

Her brother shook his head. "Nothing major. I met the intruders and then they left."

The conversation stalled. Kagome did not know how to continue. Souta had been so happy when she had returned from the Feudal Era for good. He had his sister back and she was out of danger. How could she tell him she was returning to a dangerous lifestyle?

Souta shifted in place. "I know that face. That's your guilty face. The one you always had before you left for the well."

Kagome flinched. Inuyasha angled his body towards her in an attempt to show solidarity.

"Don't lie to me, 'Gome. Are you gonna go fight? Is that why Inu-niisan and Sesshomaru are here?"

The woman sighed. "I don't know Souta. I have to meet with the guy who controls the barrier between the demon world and the human one. Inu and Sesshomaru, think that this guy will want me to deal with rogue demons, since it's now clear that I'm a miko. It would be dangerous to continue to live like I have."

Her brother suddenly refused to look at her. Kagome watched in surprise as he focused on a spot above her head. His chest rose as he took a large breath in. He was steeling himself, but for what?

"Is this what you _want_? If… if it is, fine. But if you don't…"

"I'm not gonna leave you guys." Kagome declared fiercely. "I know what I want. And that's to stay with my family. I know Momma thinks I'm going to just disappear one day, but I'm _not_. Okay?"

Souta deflated as all the air he stored up left him in one big gush. "I thought you were going to tell me that you wouldn't be around for a while."

She offered a trembling smile. "How did we handle it when I moved out?"

"A miracle and your promise to call Mom every night." Souta weakly chuckled.

The siblings nodded in accord. Souta sat up straighter.

"You'll come back?"

"I'll come back."

"Then… do what you think is right. I'll be waiting."

oOo

The Spirit Detectives had not gone far. They made their way to a small park near the Shrine, waiting for either Botan or Kagome to return. Yusuke grumped off to find a payphone to make a call to his wife. Kuwabara was roped into building a sandcastle by a group of kids that thought his height and hair made him the "coolest person ever!"

Kurama had lost himself in a small copse of trees. Sitting down in a patch of sunlight, he closed his eyes and threaded his youki into the flora surrounding him. He took a steady breath and carefully bonded his spirit to the earth.

He felt the pulse of the life around him.

The trees told him in groaning voices and shivery, leafy whispers of their mission to brush the stars. The grass steadily ignored him, trying to grow as fast as possible before the monster known as the caretaker came to cut their brethren down. The flowers trembled as the honey bees visited and tickled them with fuzzy legs.

His aura calmed and he breathed in a large lungful of the earth's scent. Focusing his mind, he set up a tentative link with the trees, whose roots were connected to their compatriots around the Shrine. They would alert him to any newcomers.

The whole practice revitalized him. It was through these kinds of exercises that Kurama felt more in tune with Youko, without having to temporarily get rid of his human shell. He sat up straighter while his body thrummed with contentment. When was the last time he had taken to meditate?

It only took a minute to search through Youko's memories for any mention of the Shikon Jewel. Many jewels of import had passed through the fox's hands, but the ones that lingered the most in his heart were the ones that got away.

Golden eyes snapped open as a predator's grin stretched his face. _Found you_.

His head whirled to the side and his irises flickered back to green. He watched a tendril of youki slide down the hill to lightly wrap around his wrist.

_No_, he mentally corrected. _It seems something has found _me_._

Kurama flared his energy in an affronted response. The shackle only tightened. Kurama frowned.

What the youki was doing was not exactly rude, but the show of dominance rankled. No one had done something like this to him since he was a pup and prone to wandering off.

"Tch. What's that?" Yusuke ambled into Kurama's clearing, and the hanyou's gaze zeroed in on the energy holding his friend. "There are three people with that Souta kid in the Shrine now. Two males and the priestess-or whatever she is- we've been looking for."

"The energy must be coming from one of Higurashi-san's guests." Kurama observed. The fact that his former employee was with a youkai was not surprising, given the rumors he had heard so many years ago. But the fact that the youkai was taking charge was… different.

It was also telling that he was the only one with a shackle. Or was he?

Kuwabara bounded up, pulling his wrist every which way. "Guys!"

"We know," growled Yusuke.

"No!" The big man argued. "I tried to go to one of the water fountains at the edge of the park and this thing wouldn't let me leave!"

Yusuke's face darkened as his own energy flared. "What the hell does that mean?"

Kurama simultaneously wondered at the youkai's control and seethed at the audacity of this stranger.

"It means," Kurama responded, "that we're being summoned, and he's not taking 'no' for an answer."

oOo

The three men reluctantly and somewhat indignantly made their way up the Shrine's stairs. As soon as they reached the top, the shackles on Kurama and Kuwabara's arms disappeared. Yet, they were now facing a new problem.

Waiting for them was Higurashi, looking a lot brighter than that morning. She smiled shyly at the group. Kurama did not have enough time to admire the expression before his attention moved to the two demons on either side of her.

They were dressed in human clothing but their faces gave away their heritage. Long silver hair cascaded down their backs and golden eyes flashed at the detectives.

"Whoa," Kuwabara murmured.

Whoa, indeed. Kurama's eyes stuck on the indigo crescent moon on the tallest demon's brow. Few had ever laid eyes on the demon, but he was notorious.

Lord of the Western Lands. As much as Kurama hated to admit it, Yomi was practically an upstart compared to this ancient ruler.

The avatar blinked at the youki swirling tightly around the Lord and his companions and understood the message.

_Mine_.

Kurama inclined his head when a pair of frozen golden eyes rested on him. He would submit.

"Prince Urameshi," the Demon Lord rumbled. "This one, the Lord of the Western Lands Sesshomaru, greets you and your companions."

Yusuke stumbled to a stop and blinked. "Uh, hello, I guess?"

"Prince?" Kuwabara mouthed.

Kurama sighed. This was a show of old demons manners and Yusuke was mucking it up.

The stoic Lord continued. "This one knew of your ancestor. Toshin was a ruthless warrior."

It was a compliment, even if Lord Sesshomaru appeared like he was speaking of the weather or the lint in his pockets.

Yusuke scratched the back of his head. "Thanks. The old guy wasn't so bad. This is Kuwabara and Kurama. They work for Prince Koenma."

"Hello!" Kuwabara waved blithely. Kurama felt like face-palming.

"Hi!" Higurashi waved back, causing all the men to blink at her. She blushed and slightly shifted behind the hanyou with the dog ears. "What? I'm not going to be rude."

Sesshomaru-sama's eyes slowly slid from the priestess to pierce Yusuke once more. "This one is aware of your team, Detective, and of your directive to bring this one's miko to Prince Koenma. This one will allow you to escort this one and his group there."

The detective in question traded a long look with his own group.

"Fine." Yusuke finally agreed. "Just give me a sec to call up Botan and then we'll be on our way."

"Hnn." The Lord allowed. Something wicked flashed behind his eyes before he added: "You keep your hair that way to honor your ancestral father, I assume."

The Mazoku's eyes widened as his hands flew to his hair and fisted in the thick locks. Finally noticing its excessive length, he turned a frosty gaze to his friends.

"I didn't notice it was like this the whole time!" Yusuke hissed.

Kuwabara shrugged. "I thought you knew since you were sitting on it the entire time in the Shine."

"Indeed," Kurama smirked. "I suspect that that much hair would be heavy and noticeable."

The Spirit Detective looked murderous, but was unable to kill his friends in plain sight. Eyes spitting out threats, Yusuke stomped away for privacy before pulling out his communicator from a pocket. Kurama took this time to continue to analyze Higurashi and her strange bodyguards.

Inuyoukai were hard to find. They did not breed often, but they were notorious for their bloodlust. The hanyou must have been the one from the legends, the fox avatar mused. And apparently, he was in a pack with the demon Lord. But how did Higurashi establish a relationship with the Lord?

And what kind of priestess allowed herself to be accepted into a demon's ranks?

The woman in question was diminutive next to her bodyguards. She gazed up at her Lord with those electric eyes, silently asking a question. His face did not move but she brightened all the same. With a wide smile, she bounded down a couple of steps to meet the two detectives.

"Hello again!" Higurashi greeted. "Hello, Minamino-kacho. Kazuma-san. I'm sorry about all the stuff I probably put you through. I didn't know what you wanted from me."

"It was absolutely no problem." Kurama replied softly. "We understand your need for caution."

"Yeah!" Kuwabara agreed. "But how do you know my name?"

The woman laughed and waved in the general direction of her friends. "They told me. I'm Higurashi Kagome. You can just call me Kagome, if you like."

"It's very nice to meet you, Kagome-san!" The tall man was already coloring from her attention. "You can just call me Kuwabara."

Kurama inspected the air closely. Even a couple of paces away, Kagome was wrapped in the dog demon's aura. Kuwabara's own energy clumsily reached out to acquaint itself with hers, only to be rebuffed. He did not seem to notice, but Kurama did.

The two humans chattered a bit before Yusuke called Kuwabara away.

The kitsune avatar and the priestess stood a bit in silence. There was so much to say and no one seemed to know where to start.

Kagome took the plunge first. She toyed with her purse strap. Pity. Kurama wanted her to look at him.

"I didn't hurt you, did I, Minamino? When my purity touched you?"

"No, Higurashi-san. It simply…" For all of his knowledge, he did not know how to explain it. "…Exposed my true form."

The priestess let out a breath. "Good. I'm glad no harm was done."

Botan was here now. The Lord allowed the ferry girl and the two other detectives to walk over to him to discuss the portal.

Kagome peered briefly over her shoulder before returning to look at her boss. Former boss? "I-I hope this is not rude, but um… they told me that you were a fox and a human?"

"An avatar," Kurama clarified. He also heard what she implied. She knew he had been a thief.

Her eyes crinkled at the sides and she suppressed a smile. "Ah. That's fitting then."

His brow furrowed slightly. "Oh?"

"The fox that collects rare and precious things ended up becoming a rare and precious thing himself." She laughed.

Kurama was floored. Had she punched him in the gut? It felt like she had. He even lifted his hands to check the spot before catching himself.

"Miko." The Lord intoned. A swirling portal was open before him, the light casting harsh shadows on his face.

"Coming!" She turned back to Kurama. "Are you ready, Minamino-san?"

"Kurama. Please. Call me Kurama."

Her dimples were enchanting. How come he had never seen those before? "Okay, Kurama-san!" She whirled and flew to the landing to allow herself to be escorted by her Lord.

Kurama followed on weak legs. His gaze flickered up only to see the hanyou standing in the portal opening, staring. Kurama's eyes flashed.

The hanyou's face stayed impassive before he dismissed the fox and stepped through the entrance. Kurama pulled even with a waiting Botan.

"Are you ready?" She chirped, waiting to allow everyone through. He was the last one.

"Ah." He nodded and forced himself forward. A couple of steps, a whirling sensation, and Kurama was in the Spirit World.

oOo

Kagome did not expect the Spirit World to be so… modern. She had expected clouds or idyllic nature scenes, or lesser gods frolicking in ponds and lounging in pagodas. Instead there were cubicles and stacks of paper and-Kagome squeaked and pressed herself into Inuyasha's side.

He took a hold of her shoulder and steered her to walk between him and his brother. "Not the same kind of oni," Inuyasha corrected gruffly.

The priestess sighed and forced her fingers to abandon their desperate grip on her purse strap. She instead focused on the sound of her heels clacking on the concrete floor as Yusuke-san led them through a maze of hallways.

"I didn't know there were different kinds." Kagome murmured, sneaking a glance at a green skinned ogre rushing by.

The horns, claws and coloring were the same, but these were definitely smaller and since they were not trying to tear up their surroundings, Kagome decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.

While she was busy trying to convince herself the oni were not a threat, the long line of people stopped. Yusuke-san stopped first, followed by Kuwabara, then Sesshomaru. Kagome stumbled, trying not to crash into the Inuyoukai in front of her. She leaned around his back to see they had pulled up to an indiscreet door, with a blue ogre standing vigil.

"Yusuke!" It exclaimed. "Koenma-sama has been waiting for you! He was _so_ angry, he almost tore up his office. _Again_!"

Kagome's eyes widened. Her imagination ran wild at the thought of a massive kami stomping his large feet, his powers lashing out at all of creation.

To her disbelief, Yusuke scoffed. "Tch. The toddler needs to get a grip already. Let us in?"

…Toddler?

"Certainly!" The ogre exclaimed and opened the office door, escorting everyone in. "Welcome miko-sama!" The oni greeted when she passed. She could only offer a weak smile in return. Inuyasha laid a hand on her shoulder.

True to her belief, the office was massive. The ceilings were so high; they faded away into darkness before she could see where they ended. A massive flat screen television dominated the wall in front of her. But where was the Prince?

Inuyasha led her to stand in front of a desk. It was large for her, but it must have been pathetically miniature for such a large presence. Right?

She pulled even with Sesshomaru. A man about her age was standing in front of the desk. Brown eyes, brown hair and a strange tattoo on his forehead. He was handsome but unassuming. A secretary maybe?

"Really, aging yourself up Koenma? Smooth." Yusuke snickered. Kagome was floundering. What did that mean?

But everyone else ignored Yusuke.

The man bowed low and spoke. "Welcome to the Spirit World, Lord Sesshomaru, Prince Inuyasha. It has been a very long time since your last visit."

Sesshomaru bowed in turn. "Well met, Prince Koenma. Indeed it has. The Western Lands extend their greetings. This one has brought the miko underneath his protection."

Kagome's jaw dropped. Following Inuyasha's lead, she bowed as well.

The kami straightened and flicked amber eyes in her direction. "Indeed. I need to apologize, we did not realize she was under your jurisdiction."

"She is a packmate." Sesshomaru rumbled. "The tie between her family and the West was forged even before your father's barrier."

"Ah." Koenma frowned deeply before straightening. "Sit! Sit!" He said with new energy and gestured towards three chairs in front of his desk. His detectives soundlessly took up posts on the walls.

The Prince waited for his guests to take their seats before lowering himself into a massive office chair. "May I have your permission to speak frankly to your packmate then?"

"If she allows it."

All eyes turned to the flustered miko. Her eyes widened and she wanted nothing more to sink into her chair.

"Uh, hello." She tried.

The Prince puffed himself up and smiled debonairly. "Hello, Priestess Higurashi. I am Prince Koenma and it is good to make your acquaintance. I must say, your reputation precedes you, but I never realized that you would be so beautiful."

Kagome colored. Was… was he flirting with her? Kagome could not help her smile even as someone snorted in the background and Inuyasha growled lowly. She pressed her fingertips to her mouth and suppressed a giggle.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Koenma-sama. I didn't realize you would be so-" _small_ "-friendly."

The Prince seemed pleased. "Well I do try my best to continue to be humble," he bragged.

"I can see that."

He shuffled a few papers in an attempt to distract from his cheeks. "Hmm, anyway, Priestess…"

"Call me Kagome!"

"Kagome-_san_." Inuyasha growled.

"Kagome-san," Koenma agreed. "I apologize if my efforts to contact you disturbed your peace in any way. My intention was to escort you to the Spirit World before any demons noticed your presence. The priority was your protection, see?"

Kagome nodded so he continued.

"I also want to thank you for your and the Prince's efforts in reassembling and protecting the Shikon no Tama. Fate and time travel is not my department, but it's obvious how your actions prevented your enemy from destroying Japan."

Kagome gave Inuyasha a shaky smile. "It was the least I could do, since it was my fault in the first place."

An oppressive silence fell over the office.

"No…" Koenma finally said. "The portal was opened by Spiritual forces. You can trust me when I say it was not your fault."

To Kagome's horror, his simple words made tears spring to her eyes. All this time she blamed so many things on herself. If she had not lost the jewel, if she had been a better priestess, if she had made a better wish… She discreetly wiped at her eyes and the men decided to say nothing.

Instead Prince Koenma turned to Sesshomaru. Their conversation turned stilted and a little too formal for her to follow, but Inuyasha leaned close to breathe a translation in her ear.

"They're talking about your prospects. Koenma says that since you're a Spiritual being, you belong under his jurisdiction. Sess is saying that since you're under his protection, he has to approve what Koenma wants to do with you."

"A bargaining chip?" Kagome's eyes widened in indignation.

"He's giving you the freedom to choose what you want to do. Sess is only looking out for you." Inuyasha corrected.

Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's hand and for once, he allowed it.

"Excuse me?" Kagome interrupted when there was a sufficient pause in the conversation. She tried not to wilt under their combined gazes. "I was just wondering Koenma-sama, what you had in mind for me? Can I ask that?"

Koenma smiled winningly. "Of course you can ask. I'm sure you will like the idea. I want to make you an ambassador between the human world and the demon world."

Inuyasha's hand tightened on Kagome's in surprise.

"Y-you want to what?" She squeaked.

oOo

The negotiations were long. Eventually, the Spirit Detectives sensed they definitely were not needed and slipped out. Kagome, head swirling, hardly kept up.

She did insist on three things. One, she needed time to think. She had spent the past few years believing her exciting life was over. She had accepted the idea that she would fade into obscurity and her demon hunting days would be a distant memory.

Two, she agreed to train with this Genkai person if Souta got trained too, with no obligation to get involved with the demon world. Koenma was shocked that there was another person with reiki in Kagome's family, but Sesshomaru and Inuyasha did not seemed surprised.

Souta deserved a choice too.

Three, she could quit at any time she chose. Sesshomaru was sure to fight for other benefits and she was sure that he had already negotiated a hefty salary for her. But gone were the days where Kagome crusaded because she had no other choice.

Koenma agreed.

oOo

Kurama and Kuwabara were eventually summoned back into the room. Once Yusuke learned he was not needed, he took off for home and a haircut. Kicking his friend's asses could come after he was able to run without tripping on his hair.

Intrigued on what Koenma could possibly want, the two red heads filed into the office.

Kurama's eyes immediately floated over to the miko. She seemed exhausted but her jaw was set firmly.

"Kurama, Kazuma," Koenma greeted. "I didn't ask Yusuke in because what I'm about to offer would not be proper for a demon Prince to accept. But I have a proposal for you."

Kuwabara bounced on his heels. "A mission?"

"A… request."

Kurama had never seen the toddler look so pensive. It fit his older appearance.

"Kagome-san is going to think about my offer for a week. I would like for you two to provide security for her while she stays at home."

"She's staying at the hotel with me," the silver-eared hanyou broke in.

Higurashi sighed and ran a dainty hand over her face. "I want to stay at the Shrine, Inu. And we already agreed that the pack can watch over me if Prince Koenma can have two of his men also be involved."

"Hnn." Lord Sesshomaru agreed.

The hanyou frowned but said nothing.

The priestess' words were powerful. It was strange seeing a docile accountant wield authority over demons. Kurama was amused.

Kuwabara's eyes were already twinkling. "It would be my honor to protect Higurashi-san! I will spend every waking minute with her!"

"You can't miss class," Kurama lightly chided. "We can take shifts." He bowed low to his former employee. "It would be an honor, Higurashi-san."

She gave them a trembling but meaningful smile. "Thank you."

"Perfect!" Koenma nodded. "Now that that's settled… Lord Sesshomaru, how long do you intend to keep Kagome-san under a barrier? I am sure you are aware, but it can be very draining for a pure being to be surrounded by youki for so long."

To everyone's surprise, it was Kagome who protested.

"No!" She exclaimed. "I need it. I…" She blushed becomingly. "I can't control my reiki."

A thoughtful light bloomed behind Koenma's bright eyes. "Show me." He commanded.

The youkai Lord retracted his hold on the miko and the effect was immediate. Massive power exploded from the small woman.

Kurama braced himself for the sting, but it never came. Instead, he could feel his very soul being bathed in light. He closed his eyes as he felt his bones shift into Youko painlessly. He felt lighter, like he could breathe deeper.

The moment ended before Kurama could lose himself. His eyes snapped open to see Koenma standing right in front of Kagome's chair, holding her hand in his.

A wave of jealousy fiercely ripped through Kurama's chest. He even took a step forward, a loud growl caught in his throat. He almost missed what the Prince was saying.

"It's the Shikon you absorbed," he was explaining. "Since it became part of you, its power became yours as well. Until you learn how to accept it, this will continue to happen."

With one ear Kurama recorded Higurashi's response. The rest of him was consumed with something else.

Need.

When he had been a thief, he had chosen targets based on practicality. What was the most rare, which target posed the most challenge, what could further his goals the best. But there were a couple of items he had stolen for an entirely different reason.

He could not rest until he had them.

During his years as a human, his need was fulfilled in other ways. His mother's love and affection was enough to calm the kitsune's blood and keep his fingers still.

But as adrenaline pumped through his veins, he knew that had ceased to be enough. He could feel it in the way his body thrummed with power. Kuwabara understood too, if the tears trailing down his cheeks were any indication.

No previous love would compare. And Kurama would not rest until he had the ultimate prize. The miko.

oOo

The return trip was quiet. Kuwabara was still ruminating on his experience with the power, Kagome was exhausted. The kitsune was biding his time and the Inuyoukai were simply naturally reticent.

Botan dropped them off with a smile and a wave. Kagome opened her mouth to speak before a shrill voice drowned anything else out.

"You took her!" The voice accused.

The whole group turned to face the stairs. Kurama and Kuwabara immediately stationed themselves around Kagome, but Inuyasha and Sesshomaru stood stock still.

A young lady with curly hair angrily fumed her way up the stairs.

"Ayumi?" Kagome gasped quietly.

Ayumi had no eyes for Kagome. Instead, she was pointing a shaking finger at Lord Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. Her eyes flamed in pure anger and a steady flush was working its way up her neck.

"You took her to the Reikai without even letting me know, you _bastards_! You wouldn't even let me be honest with her, but then when something happens, you spirit her away?" In a show of speed that was worrying, the human woman flew up the stairs and lifted herself on her toes to stick her face in Sesshomaru's.

The daiyoukai's facade was as unreadable as ever, but something flickered in those deep orbs.

"Hey!" Inuyasha broke in, trying to get the woman off his brother.

She pushed him off. "No! It's _not okay_!"

With that exclamation, something shifted. Kurama's eyes widened as he took in the magic swirling around the woman. It had been a long time since he had seen a disguise that masterful.

When the woman's body shifted, so did her whole essence. Even her smell changed. Her hair shortened and lightened into a brilliant red. Her eyes turned green and her breasts shrunk as her shoulders grew. Her lithe legs thickened and elongated. Most telling was the long tail that grew from the bottom of her back.

Where a fuming woman once stood was a strong kitsune. It did not take once ounce of Kurama's intelligence to realize that this fox was _pissed_.

Kurama lifted a hand to his seeds, but a hand on his wrist stalled him. Higurashi was leaning out of the protective cage of bodies to get a better view of the visitor. Her eyes were damp.

"S-Shippo?" She stuttered weakly.

The fox's frosty gaze melted as soon as it landed on the priestess. "Kagome." He rumbled, nothing but affection in his voice.

Kurama's hand tightened into a fist. This had better not be competition for affection, for he would crush his opponents.

He vowed it.

**oOo**

**Note: **Toshin, which means "Battle God" was Raizen's nickname and I figured that more people would that name, instead of Raizen which seems more intimate.

Why Ayumi? I wanted Shippo to be one of Kagome's childhood friends. I also thought it would be funny if the kid that gave Inuyasha the most grief in the Feudal Era would be the one who actually defended Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship in the modern era.

Anon Review Replies:

KuroNeko: Yeah, I think it's mostly laziness. If we make Inuyasha look like a bad guy, then it's easier to push him out of the way in favor of a new love interest. Not very nice, but easier. Ha, sorry, cliffhangers are my thing. xD Thanks for reviewing!

lillith: Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked it.

fredisagirl: I'm glad I could at least make something funny haha. Hopefully your question got answered in some way in this chapter, if not, just let me know. Thanks for reviewing!


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